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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-05-26
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
26/05/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] La Commission donne son feu vert à l'acquisition du contrôle conjoint
de Thomson C.S.F. par Alcatel et Thomson SA
[02] Poland 1998 EU Phare Programme reduced by ECU 34 million
[03] El Nino/Bolivia : Commission earmarks humanitarian aid worth ECU 1.95
million
[04] Padraig Flynn says that "the European Social Fund represents the human
and social face of the EU"
[01] La Commission donne son feu vert à l'acquisition du contrôle conjoint
de Thomson C.S.F. par Alcatel et Thomson SA
La Commission européenne a donné son feu vert à l'acquisition par Alcatel
du contrôle conjoint, avec Thomson SA, de la société Thomson C.S.F. Cette
opération s'inscrit dans le processus de privatisation du groupe Thomson SA
dont Thomson C.S.F. est une filiale. Cette dernière exerce ses activités
dans l'électronique professionnelle, la concentration concernant
principalement l'électronique de défense et le secteur du contrôle du
trafic aérien. L'enquête menée par la Commission a indiqué que l'opération,
à laquelle participent également les sociétés Aérospatiale et Dassault
Industries, ne risque pas de représenter une entrave à la concurrence, au
titre du règlement concentrations, et cela dans aucun des secteurs
concernés.
[02] Poland 1998 EU Phare Programme reduced by ECU 34 million
The European Union (EU) Phare assistance to Poland for 1998 will amount to
ECU 178 million to help it prepare for EU membership. European
Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Hans van den Broek, has written to
Bronislaw Geremek, Poland's Foreign Minister, informing him of this amount
and explaining that this means Poland should receive 34 million less than
the ECU 212 million originally envisaged for 1998. Commenting, Mr van
den Broek said : "I regret this development, but we can only finance those
projects which will help prepare Poland for EU membership, and that are
ready to be implemented".
[03] El Nino/Bolivia : Commission earmarks humanitarian aid worth ECU 1.95
million
The European Commission has earmarked humanitarian aid worth ECU 1.95
million for victims of the El Nino phenomenon in Bolivia, which was also
struck by an earthquake last week. The aid, managed by the European
Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), will enable four European non-
governmental organisations to carry out a programme over the next six
months : Comitato di Coordinamento delle Organizzazioni per il Servizio
Volontario (Italy), Secours Catholique (France), Nuova Frontiera (Italy)
and Medicus Mundi Navarra (Spain). Bolivia has experienced both drought and
torrential storms during this year's devastating El Nino freak weather
patterns. Drought in the high planes of western and southern Bolivia has
been the more serious of the twin crises. It has affected up to 200,000
families, disrupting agriculture on some 600,000 hectares of land vital to
their survival. The earthquake on May 22 near the city of Cochamba
resulted in at least 40 dead. Some 80 percent of the houses in the
earthquake zone have been damaged. ECHO plans to respond to appeals for
relief as necessary.
[04] Padraig Flynn says that "the European Social Fund represents the human
and social face of the EU"
"The European Social Fund represents the human and social face of the
European Union - it is the only Structural Fund which is about people and
for people," said Padraig Flynn, European Commissioner with responsibility
for Employment and Social Affairs. He was speaking today at the opening
session of the first-ever European-level Congress of the European Social
Fund (ESF), which is taking place at the International Conference Centre in
Birmingham (UK). Mr Flynn went on to say that "the European Union cares as
much about practical, everyday issues - such as getting useful training to
find or keep a job - as it does about economic and financial projects such
as the Single Market and the Single Currency. For all of us here today,
the European project is also about investing in people and their future".
He pointed out that "the funding available for this purpose is substantial
: the ESF will disburse about ECU 50 billion in the current programming
period; and I expect that it will be between 60 and 70 billion in the next.
This is money which can and should make a difference." The Commissioner
underlined the fact that the ESF has a new and exciting mandate now : to
underpin the European Employment Strategy. I hope that National Action
Plans for Employment will in future be clearer about the ways in which the
ESF has helped, or is helping, whether through financing new activities or
on a wider scale or through disseminating good experience and best
practices from other countries."
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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