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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 09-01-20
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Louis Michel to undertake humanitarian mission to Gaza and Southern
Israel
[02] European Commission’s crisis response assistance to Georgia in 2008
reaches €120 million
[03] Digital tachograph for road transport: new measures to prevent fraud
and equip light vehicles
[04] Commission, banks and small businesses discuss improving access to
loans
[05] Gas Coordination Group: Solidarity works and the EU's gas market
adapts to challenges of gas crisis
[06] Mergers: Commission clears Avnet’s acquisition of Abacus in
electronic components industry
[07] Statement of Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner ahead of Foreign Ministers
meetings with Israel and Arab counterparts
[08] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2009-01-20
Reference: MEX/09/0120
Date: 20/01/2009
EXME09 / 20.01
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
20/01/09
[01] Louis Michel to undertake humanitarian mission to Gaza and Southern
Israel
European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel,
is to travel to Gaza and Israel later this week on a two-day humanitarian
mission amid the current ceasefires.
[02] European Commission’s crisis response assistance to Georgia in 2008
reaches €120 million
As European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood
Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner visits Georgia on 20th January, the European
Commission's post-crisis support for Georgia has reached nearly €120
million. The Commissioner will be announcing the latest release of funds
(€61.5 million) to the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili during her
trip. One of the main aims of this funding is to answer the needs and help
the resettlement of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) resulting from the
conflicts in Georgia in the 1990s and August 2008. During her visit the
Commissioner will be meeting some of those who have had to leave their
homes at an IDP centre in Tbilisi which has been refurbished with
Commission funds. The funds form part of the ‘Growth and Stabilisation
Package for Georgia’ of up to €500 million covering the period 2008-
2010, that was pledged by the European Commission after last summer's
conflict.
[03] Digital tachograph for road transport: new measures to prevent fraud
and equip light vehicles
Today, the European Commission adopted a package of measures aimed at
detecting and preventing abuses of the tachograph system, used to record
the driving time and rest periods of professional drivers. Furthermore, the
new legislation permits the use of dedicated, type-approved adaptors for
light vehicles that are required to comply with the Drivers' Hours and
Tachograph rules.
[04] Commission, banks and small businesses discuss improving access to
loans
At a round table tomorrow, Vice-President Günter Verheugen will discuss
with leading banking and business organisations how to further help to
ensure a continuous flow of funding to enterprises, especially small and
medium-sized ones (SMEs) in the current difficult economic circumstances.
At EU level new initiatives have been put in place in addition to existing
instruments such as the €30 billion loan package from the European
Investment Bank (EIB)), the various initiatives contained in the Economic
Recovery Plan and the temporary adaptation of the State Aid framework.
Businesses will be represented by BusinessEurope, Eurochambres and the
European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME).
The participating banking organisations are the European Association of
Cooperative Banks (EACB), the European Banking Federation (EBF) and the
European Savings Bank Group (ESBG). Mrs. Herzog, MEP and the European
Investment Bank Group (EIB) will also take part. Invited as observers are
the Network of European Financial Institutions (NEFI), the European
Association of Public banks (EAPB), the European Association of Mutual
Guarantee Societies (AECM), the European Association of Development
Agencies (EURADA) and the Federation of European Accountants (FEE). Further
information about the previous round tables: <a href="http://www.ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/financing/round_table.htm">www.ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/financing/round_table.htm
More information about EU programmes for SMEs: <a href="http://www.ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sme/funding_en.htm">www.ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sme/funding_en.htm
More information about EIB lending: <a href="http://www.eib.europa.eu/">www.eib.europa.eu
Rediffusion
[05] Gas Coordination Group: Solidarity works and the EU's gas market
adapts to challenges of gas crisis
The mitigation measures undertaken by EU companies and Member States have
allowed most countries to successfully manage the situation in a way which
is the least disruptive for their consumers. Bulgaria remains the worst
affected country but some measures have been proposed to bring gas from
Greece to Bulgaria.
[06] Mergers: Commission clears Avnet’s acquisition of Abacus in
electronic components industry
The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed acquisition by Avnet of the US of Abacus of the UK. Both companies
are electronic components distributors. The investigation has shown that
the concentration would not significantly impede effective competition in
the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.
[07] Statement of Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner ahead of Foreign Ministers
meetings with Israel and Arab counterparts
"I welcome the calm that thanks to the announcement by Hamas of a ceasefire
following Israel's unilateral ceasefire declaration will finally allow our
aid partners to alleviate the suffering of the population after so many
days of distress. I call on all the parties to facilitate movement and
access of humanitarian staff and goods at this critical moment including
through the opening of the crossings." The Commission, as main donor in
Palestine, will continue to work closely with partners to address the most
immediate needs of the population in Gaza in the weeks and months to come.
Assessment missions by aid agencies are already on the ground and the
Commission will liaise closely with them and in parallel proceed to
undertake its own assessment with a view to prepare efforts of the donor
community in the coming weeks to address the most pressing needs of the
population. The reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure will only be
addressed at a later stage, when the political conditions are in place to
guarantee a more stable environment.
[08] Autre matériel diffusé
• Speech by Vice-President Kallas 'Towards an interinstitutional
agreement on the concept of tolerable risk of error in Community
programmes', Brussels
A disposition au secrétariat de Jonathan Todd (BERL 03/315):
Notification préalable d'une opération de concentration :
Citi Infrastructure Partners, L.P. / Itínere Infraestructuras, S.A
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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