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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 09-02-27
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] State aid: Commission authorises temporary German scheme allowing
subsidized state guarantees to boost real economy
[02] Aides d'État: la Commission autorise le régime d'aides temporaire
français permettant le recours des garanties subventionnées pour
dynamiser l'économie réelle
[03] State aid: Commission authorises the United Kingdom to introduce two
temporary measures to grant loan guarantees on one hand, and interest rate
subsidies to businesses producing green products on the other hand
[04] Aides d'état: la Commission autorise un régime temporaire d’aide
forfaitaire aux entreprises d’un montant maximal de 500 000 euros au
Luxembourg
[05] Commission to co-sponsor Palestinian Donors Conference and announces
€436 million ($554 million) to the Palestinians for 2009
[06] Euro area unemployment up to 8.2%
[07] Euro area annual inflation down to 1.1%
[08] Participation of President José Manuel Barroso in the conference in
Prague "EU Enlargement - 5 years after", 2 March 2009.
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2009-02-27
Reference: MEX/09/0227
Date: 27/02/2009
EXME09 / 27.02
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
27/02/09
[01] State aid: Commission authorises temporary German scheme allowing
subsidized state guarantees to boost real economy
The European Commission has authorised under EC Treaty rules on state aid a
German scheme aimed at providing relief to companies encountering financing
difficulties as a result of the credit squeeze in the current economic
crisis. The scheme allows authorities at federal, regional and local level
to grant aid in the form of subsidized guarantees for investment and
working capital loans concluded by 31 December 2010. The scheme meets the
conditions of the Commission’s Temporary Framework for state aid measures
to support access to finance in the current financial and economic crisis
(see <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1993&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/1993),
as amended on 25 February 2009, because it is limited in time, respects the
relevant thresholds and applies only to companies that were not in
difficulty on 1 July 2008. It is therefore compatible with Article 87(3)(b)
of the EC Treaty, which permits aid to remedy a serious disturbance in the
economy of a Member State.
[02] Aides d'État: la Commission autorise le régime d'aides temporaire
français permettant le recours des garanties subventionnées pour
dynamiser l'économie réelle
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu des dispositions du
traité CE relatives aux aides d’État, un régime français visant
aider les entreprises connaissant des difficultés financières la suite
du resserrement du crédit inhérent la crise économique actuelle. Ce
régime autorise les autorités nationales, régionales et locales
accorder des aides sous forme de garanties subventionnées pour des
crédits d’investissement et des crédits-fonds de roulement accordés
d'ici au 31 décembre 2010. Le régime satisfait aux conditions du cadre
temporaire de la Commission pour les aides d'État destinées favoriser
l'accès au financement dans le contexte de la crise économique et
financière actuelle puisqu'il est limité dans le temps, respecte les
seuils fixés et ne s'applique qu'aux entreprises qui n'étaient pas en
difficulté au 1er juillet 2008. Il est donc compatible avec l'article 87,
paragraphe 3, point b), du traité CE, qui autorise les aides visant
remédier une perturbation grave de l'économie d'un État membre.
[03] State aid: Commission authorises the United Kingdom to introduce two
temporary measures to grant loan guarantees on one hand, and interest rate
subsidies to businesses producing green products on the other hand
The European Commission has authorised under state aid rules based on the
EC Treaty, two schemes, first notified to the Commission on 10 February
2009, offering loan guarantees and, specifically for businesses investing
in the production of green products, interest rate subsidies. The two aid
measures allow for a total combined risk exposure of £8 billion in the
amounts guaranteed or loaned. They are part of the measures adopted by the
UK to tackle the current economic crisis and should help businesses face
financing problems because of the credit squeeze. The loan guarantee
measure will allow companies to receive State guarantees, at subsidised
rates, to raise investment or working capital. As regards interest rate
subsidies for green products, the scheme will make it easier for producers
to invest in products with an environmental benefit. The scheme will
initially concern the car industry, but will be open to all sectors. Both
schemes meet the conditions imposed by the Commission’s temporary state
aid framework that gives Member States additional possibilities for
providing businesses with improved access to financing during the economic
and financial crisis (see <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1993&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/1993),
as amended on 25 February 2009. They are therefore compatible with Article
87(3)(b) of the EC Treaty, which permits aid intended to remedy a serious
disturbance in the economy of a Member State.
[04] Aides d'état: la Commission autorise un régime temporaire d’aide
forfaitaire aux entreprises d’un montant maximal de 500 000 euros au
Luxembourg
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu des règles du traité CE
sur les aides d'État, la première d’une série de mesures d’aides aux
entreprises, que le Luxembourg a adoptée pour faire face la crise
économique actuelle. Cette mesure permet au Luxembourg d'accorder jusqu'au
31 décembre 2010 des aides allant jusqu' 500 000 euros aux entreprises
susceptibles d'avoir une influence structurante sur l'économie nationale
ou régionale.
[05] Commission to co-sponsor Palestinian Donors Conference and announces
€436 million ($554 million) to the Palestinians for 2009
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and
Neighbourhood Policy, will pledge on 2 March in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt)
€436 million ($554 million) to the Palestinian people for 2009 at the
“Conference in Support of the Palestinian Economy for the Reconstruction
of Gaza”. The Conference, co-chaired by Egypt and Norway, will also be
attended by the other members of the Quartet for the Middle East Peace
Process: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, US Secretary of
State Clinton, Russia Foreign Minister Lavrov, EU HRSG Solana and Czech
Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg; and representatives of all international
donors to the Palestinians. The Commission’s pledge will be dedicated to
humanitarian aid and early recovery of the Gaza Strip. It will also
continue supporting the Palestinian Authority in the implementation of the
overall Palestinian Reform and Development Plan as well as UNRWA’s
programmes for the benefit of the Palestine Refugees. Commissioner Ferrero-
Waldner and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Fayyad will also offer to
all donors the PEGASE mechanism to channel their assistance to Gaza.
[06] Euro area unemployment up to 8.2%
The euro area (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 8.2% in
January 2009, compared with 8.1% in December 2008. It was 7.3% in January
2008. The EU27 unemployment rate was 7.6% in January 2009, compared with
7.5% in December 2008. It was 6.8% in January 2008. Eurostat estimates that
18.412 million men and women in the EU27, of which 13.036 million were in
the euro area, were unemployed in January 2009. Compared with December 2008,
the number of persons unemployed increased by 386 000 in the EU27 and by
256 000 in the euro area. Compared with January 2008, unemployment went up
by 2.194 million in the EU27 and by 1.641 million in the euro area. These
figures are published by Eurostat.
[07] Euro area annual inflation down to 1.1%
Euro area annual inflation was 1.1% in January 2009, down from 1.6% in
December. A year earlier the rate was 3.2%. Monthly inflation was -0.8% in
January 2009. EU annual inflation was 1.7% in January 2009, down from 2.2%
in December. A year earlier the rate was 3.4%. Monthly inflation was -0.6%
in January 2009. These figures come from Eurostat. In January 2009, the
lowest annual rates were observed in Luxembourg (0.0%), Portugal (0.1%),
Spain and France (0.8% each), and the highest in Latvia (9.7%), Lithuania
(9.5%) and Romania (6.8%). Compared with December 2008, annual inflation
fell in twenty-four Member States, remained stable in one and rose in two.
The lowest 12-month averages up to January 2009 were registered in the
Netherlands (2.2%), Portugal (2.4%) and Germany (2.6%), and the highest in
Latvia (14.7%), Bulgaria (11.4%) and Lithuania (11.0%).
[08] Participation of President José Manuel Barroso in the conference in
Prague "EU Enlargement - 5 years after", 2 March 2009.
The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso will take
part on Monday, 2 March in the conference "EU Enlargement - 5 years after",
organised by the Czech Presidency in collaboration with the European
Commission. Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, Commissioner Joaquin Almunia,
Commissioner Vladimir Spidla, will also take part. The aim is to send a
positive message underling the benefits to citizens, such as peace, liberty,
democracy in Europe. It is also expected to evaluate the political,
economic and social effects of enlargement. Three workshops are programmed:
macro-financial stability, the EU internal market, and labour mobility
within the EU. The conference will be broadcast live by Czech television
CT24 (the national 24-hour news channel) and by the website of the Czech
Presidency (<a href="http://www.eu2009.cz">www.eu2009.cz). Some 400
participants are expected.
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
• Memo on State aid: Additional information on guarantees adopted under
the Temporary Framework
• Memo on The EU in the Middle East Peace Process
• Speech by Commissioner McCreevy at the EC Conference on Private Equity
& Hedge Funds
• Calendrier hebdomadaire du 2 au 8 mars
• Top News from the European Commission
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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