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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-11-11
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
11/11/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Sommet du Dialogue Social
[02] Commission clears the acquisition of Woodchester investment by GE
Capital
[03] Commission clears the joint venture OBS! Danmark between FDB, NKL and
KF
[04] Positive action for women: statement by Padraig Flynn on the Marschall
case
[05] Padraig Flynn says there is a health and safety problem in the sectors
excluded from the Working Time Directive
[06] Ritt Bjerregaard: "The trend is clear: People want better, more
environmental friendly products on the market"
[01] Sommet du Dialogue Social
Le Président de la Commission européenne, Jacques Santer, et le Commissaire
responsable pour l'Emploi et les Affaires Sociales, Padraig Flynn, ont
invité les partenaires sociaux européens de l'UNICE, de la CES et du CEEP à
contribuer à la préparation du Conseil européen extraordinaire sur l'emploi
du 21 novembre prochain. Cette contribution sera définie dans le cadre du
Sommet du Dialogue Social, le 13 novembre à Bruxelles, auquel participera
également le Président en exercice du Conseil européen, Jean-Claude
Juncker. Dans ses "Propositions de lignes directrices pour les politiques
de l'emploi des Etats membres en 1998", la Commission appelle à un
engagement collectif pour la lutte contre le chômage et en faveur de
l'emploi. Lors du Sommet du Dialogue Social, la Commission réitérera son
appel aux partenaires sociaux de prendre des initiatives en ce sens.
[02] Commission clears the acquisition of Woodchester investment by GE
Capital
The European Commission has approved, under the Merger Regulation, the
operation by which American company General Electric Capital Corporation
(GE Capital) acquires control of Woodchester Investment plc, an Irish
financial services group. Both companies are active in the financing of
assets sector, in particular equipment and vehicle financing. In its
investigation of the merger, the Commission found that the operation will
not result in any significant combined market shares in the sector of
financing of assets, and therefore it has decided not to oppose the merger.
[03] Commission clears the joint venture OBS! Danmark between FDB, NKL and
KF
The European Commission has cleared under the Merger Regulation the
establishment of the joint venture OBS! Danmark A/S, which will be owned
with one third each by Fællesforeningen for Danske Brugsforeninger of
Denmark (FDB), Norges Kooperative Landsforening of Norway (NKL) and
Kooperativa Förbundet of Sweden (KF). OBS! Danmark will own and operate
the OBS! chain of hypermarkets in Denmark. The OBS! chain is today wholly
owned by FDB. The operation involves a financial participation of KF and
NKL in the OBS! chain in Denmark, but does not change the market structure
of the Danish market for retailing of daily consumer goods. It was
therefore found that the operation will not impede competition in the
European Union.
[04] Positive action for women: statement by Padraig Flynn on the Marschall
case
The European Court of Justice today delivered its judgment in case C 409/95
(Marschall/Land Nordrhein-Westfalen). The Court has said that a national
law which gives priority to women in promotions in the public sector in
cases where there are male and female candidates who are equally qualified
for the post in question, does not conflict with Community law provided
that certain conditions are satisfied and the promotion of a male candidate
is not excluded from the outset. Today's ruling expands upon the Kalanke
judgment of October 1995 which found a similar but automatic provision in
the Land of Bremen to be illegal. Commenting on the Marschall case, Padraig
Flynn, European Commissioner with responsibility for Employment and Social
Affairs, said he "was delighted with the ruling. The Court has recognised
that certain deep-rooted prejudices and stereotypes as to the role and
capacities of women in working life still persist. The Court has concluded
from this that priority given to equally qualified women - which is
designed to restore the balance - is not contrary to Community law provided
that an objective assessment of each individual candidate, irrespective of
the sex of the candidate in question, is assured. The view taken by the
Commission after Kalanke has been vindicated by this ruling. The vast
majority of approaches to positive action, which permit a degree of
flexibility in their application and which stop short of rigid automatic
quotas, are not called into question. The new Amsterdam Treaty Article 119
(4) will, on coming into force, strengthen this situation."
[05] Padraig Flynn says there is a health and safety problem in the sectors
excluded from the Working Time Directive
Speaking today in Luxembourg to the General Assembly of the Federation of
Transport Unions, Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Padraig Flynn
said: "There are workers in all the excluded sectors who have no protection
against risks to their health and safety through having to work excessively
long hours." The Commissioner explained that the European Commission's
White Paper on excluded sectors comes down in favour of the option which
would mean introducing framework measures to extend the full provisions of
the Working Time Directive to all non-mobile workers. There would have to
be suitable adjustment of the existing exceptions to take account of things
like the need for continuity of service and other operational requirements.
These measures would also apply certain provisions of the Working Time
Directive to all mobile and offshore workers, i.e. four weeks' paid annual
leave and health assessments for night workers. They would also provide
guarantees of adequate rest periods and for a ceiling on the numbers of
hours to be worked annually. Furthermore, the Commission also announced
its intention to introduce or amend specific legislation for each sector or
activity when it came to working time and rest periods for mobile workers
and offshore workers. "This would include amendment of Regulation 3820/85,
which applies specifically to driving time in the road haulage sector. We
are looking to provide in particular new working time limits on driving,
loading, unloading and the like," Mr Flynn said.
[06] Ritt Bjerregaard: "The trend is clear: People want better, more
environmental friendly products on the market"
Speaking at a conference on sustainable consumption in London, Environment
Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard focused on the important role that consumers
play in securing sustainable consumption through their daily choice of
products they buy. The Commissioner mentioned the European Eco-label
scheme, which follows a scientifically based "cradle to grave" approach, as
a good example of consumer information, enabling consumers to make
environment-conscious choices. She said: "The environment requires a
European Eco-label, which consumers throughout the European Union will
recognise as a guarantee of better environmental performance. To make
sustainable consumption a success story, consumers must be active partners
and clearly express their priorities. The time for consumers to look at
prices only, is over. Environmental cost is just as important. It is our
responsibility to teach and inform consumers about this approach. We
should all aim to become active promoters of the environmental
consumption."
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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