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EU News Flashes and Events for 96-11-28
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS
[01] Kohl wants punctual EMU
[02] No EMU budget pact agreement
[03] Finland will meet EMU criteria
[04] Britain attacked on BSE handling
[05] Urgent WTO ruling on grain spat
[06] US quota dispute/Fischler
[07] EU-wide ban on cosmetics
[08] Telecoms sector guidelines
[09] Strategic assessments draft delay
[10] Environmental accord framework
[11] Franco-German postal proposal
[12] Mannesmann/Deutsche Bahn AG
[13] St Gobain silicon carbide merger
[14] EU reviews AXA takeover of UAP
[15] ELG Haniel/Jewometaal deal
[16] Main EU events for November 28
[01] Kohl wants punctual EMU
BONN - German Chancellor Helmut Kohl said on Wednesday that European monetary
union should go ahead as planned in 1999 with as many countries as possible
taking part that can fulfil strict entry terms on a sustained basis.
[02] No EMU budget pact agreement
BRUSSELS - The European Union's monetary committee, after 16 hours of talks,
failed again on Wednesday to reach an accord on a budget stability pact for
countries joining a common currency.
[03] Finland will meet EMU criteria
BRUSSELS - Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen said on Wednesday his country
would meet the criteria for Economic and Monetary Union this year.
[04] Britain attacked on BSE handling
BRUSSELS - Britain stopped European Union inspectors checking in the early
1990s if measures to fight mad cow disease were being implemented, the head of
a European Parliament inquiry said on Wednesday.
[05] Urgent WTO ruling on grain spat
GENEVA - The United States is seeking an urgent World Trade Organisation
finding on whether the European Union is violating open trade rules with its
15-month-old grain tariffs system, diplomats said on Wednesday.
[06] US quota dispute/Fischler
BRUSSELS - Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler has proposed a tender system to
help resolve a dispute with Washington over duty-free imports of U.S. rice, a
Commission spokesman said on Wednesday.
[07] EU-wide ban on cosmetics
BRUSSELS - Animal welfare protestors presented the European Commission with a
petition on Wednesday carrying four million signatures and calling for a
Europe-wide ban on cosmetics tested on animals.
[08] Telecoms sector guidelines
BRUSSELS - The European Commission issued guidelines on Wednesday aimed at
ensuring that governments do not stifle competition in the telecommunications
sector by imposing unfair costs on new operators.
[09] Strategic assessments draft delay
BRUSSELS - The European Commission postponed on Wednesday its plans to adopt a
proposal on strategic environmental assessments, with one official citing the
day's over-full agenda as the cause of the delay.
[10] Environmental accord framework
BRUSSELS - The European Commission adopted on Wednesday a framework for
agreeing environmental accords with polluting industries, raising the prospect
of EU-wide charging or taxation regimes intended to cut damage to the
environment.
[11] Franco-German postal proposal
BRUSSELS - The European Commission said on Wednesday it would do everything it
could to block a Franco- German effort to halt plans to liberalise European
Union postal services.
[12] Mannesmann/Deutsche Bahn AG
BRUSSELS - The European Commission said on Wednesday it was vetting a
telecommunications joint venture between Mannesmann AG and German railway
company Deutsche Bahn AG.
[13] St Gobain silicon carbide merger
BRUSSELS - The European Commission banned on Wednesday a proposed merger of
the silicon carbide interests of French glass-making giant Saint-Gobain and
Wacker-Chemie, which is partly owned by German chemical group Hoechst.
[14] EU reviews AXA takeover of UAP
BRUSSELS - The European Commission said on Wednesday it was starting a
preliminary probe into the proposed acquisition of French insurance firm UAP
by rival company AXA SA.
[15] ELG Haniel/Jewometaal deal
BRUSSELS - The European Commission said on Wednesday it had approved the
proposed acquisition of the whole of Jewometaal Stainless Processing BV by ELG
Haniel GmbH, a subsidiary of Franz Haniel & Cie GmbH.
[16] Main EU events for November 28
BRUSSELS - EU justice and home affairs ministers meeting begins at 1100 GMT
(first of two days); discussions focus on actions to combat trafficking in
human beings and sexual exploitation of children.
BRUSSELS - EU telecoms ministers meeting begins at 0900 GMT; discussions focus
on postal services, application of an open network provision to vocal
telephony and the establishment of a universal telecoms service in a
competitive environment.
BRUSSELS - European Commissioner van den Broek meets Georgian Foreign Minister
Irakli Menagarishvili at 1400 GMT.
BRUSSELS - European Commissioners Flynn, Monti and MEP Simone Veil joint news
conference on the interim report on free movement of persons involving
supplementary pensions begins at 1115 GMT.
BRUSSELS - Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) plenary session resumes at
0800 GMT (second of two days); European Commissioner Wulf-Mathies gives
address on the cohesion report.
BRUSSELS - DG XI Director General Marius Enthoven addresses Centre for
European Policy Studies lunchtime seminar on "Environmental policy and its
economic aspects" at 1215 GMT.
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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