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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-06-17
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Spokesman's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb
17/06/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission reassures Russia of the benefits of WTO membership
[02] La Commission autorise l'entreprise commune Auchan/Leroy Merlin et
IFIL
[03] Conference "21st Century: The Communications Age"
[01] Commission reassures Russia of the benefits of WTO membership
Sir Leon Brittan, Vice-President of the European Commission, explains how
WTO (World Trade Organisation) membership would give Russia real leverage
to open markets for its exports, increase prosperity for ordinary people as
well as business, and enable Russia to regain its rightful place in the
world economic order. Fears that it would strip Russia of sovereignty,
deplete its natural resources and leave the man in the street prey to
unbridled capitalism are simply unfounded. Nor will it change anything
overnight, for it is a gradual process which will cause no sudden shocks to
the Russia economy. In a statement in Moscow to the Russian Parliament
today, Sir Leon assures Russia that there will be no coercion: membership
will happen only if Russia chooses it. There will be no arbitrary dates and
deadlines for membership, which the European Union supports as soon as is
it feasible for Russia to join on commercially viable terms.
[02] La Commission autorise l'entreprise commune Auchan/Leroy Merlin et
IFIL
La Commission européenne a approuvé la concentration par laquelle les
groupes français Auchan et Leroy Merlin et le groupe italien IFIL
acquièrent le contrôle commun de deux entreprises pour la vente au détail
de produits de consommation courante et pour la vente au détail de produits
de bricolage en Italie.
[03] Conference "21st Century: The Communications Age"
A high profile conference will take place in Brussels, on Wednesday, 18
June, under the joint patronage of Martin Bangemann, Commissioner
responsible for Industry and Telecommunication, and Mr Umberto Scapagnini,
Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of the CERT (Committee on
energy and technological research) of the European Parliament. This
conference has two main objectives. Firstly to increase the general
understanding and awareness of the key roles for advanced communications in
the building of the Information Society. Secondly to review the political
and economic context in which relevant European research is being conducted
to see where future priorities may lie. The conference will bring together
political leaders and leading experts in information and communications
technologies. Speakers include, inter alia, Sweden's Minister of Labour,
Mrs Margareta Winberg; Japan's Deputy Vice Minister for Technology Policy
Coordination, Mr Akio Motai; Portugal's Minister for Science and Technology,
Mr José Mariano Gago; Canada's Federal Minister of Communications, Mr John
Manley and Ireland's Minister for Commerce, Science and Technology, Mr Pat
Rabbitte.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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