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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-01-06
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-Parole 06/01/2000b
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission authorises acquisition of Lucas Diesel Systems by Delphi
[02] La Commission autorise la prise de contrôle d'Elektrizitätswerk
Wesertal par Fortum
[03] Economic sentiment indicator rises 0.1 point in the euro-zone and 0.4
point in the EU15 in December
[04] EU15 current account surplus euro 3.4 billion in third quarter 1999
[05] La Commission décide de nouvelles mesures juridiques à l'encontre de
l'Italie pour non-respect de la directive relative au traitement des eaux
urbaines résiduaires
[06] Commission to take legal action against Ireland and Portugal over Wild
Birds Directive
[01] Commission authorises acquisition of Lucas Diesel Systems by Delphi
The European Commission has approved the operation by which Delphi acquires
the Lucas Diesel Systems, the diesel fuel injection business of Lucas
Varity. The operation is of a complementary nature and does not lead to an
addition of market shares. Therefore, the operation does not give rise to
competition problems. Delphi is a supplier of automotive components. Its
current product portfolio does not include diesel injection systems. Delphi
is a former General Motors subsidiary which recently has been spun off to
the General Motors shareholders. In the past, Delphi was a captive supplier
to General Motors, it now tries to develop and to broaden its customer
base. Lucas Diesel develops, manufactures and sells diesel fuel injection
equipment worldwide.
[02] La Commission autorise la prise de contrôle d'Elektrizitätswerk
Wesertal par Fortum
La Commission européenne a autorisé la prise de contrôle de l'entreprise
régionale d'électricité Elektrizitätswerk Wesertal GmbH, Hameln, par
l'entreprise finlandaise Power and Heat Oy, Fortum. Ces deux entreprises
sont actives dans le secteur énergétique. Etant donné que leurs activités
ne se chevauchent pas géographiquement, la Commission n'a pas soulevé
d'objections contre cette opération de concentration.
[03] Economic sentiment indicator rises 0.1 point in the euro-zone and 0.4
point in the EU15 in December
(! embargo 12 am !) The composite economic sentiment indicator for December
1999 reveals a 0.1 point improvement in the euro-zone and a 0.4 point
increase in the European Union compared to November. Finland, Germany, the
Netherlands and the United Kingdom, with 1.1, 0.6, 0.4 and 0.4 point
increases respectively, were the main contributors to this improvement.
Austria and Spain registered the biggest declines : 1.1 and 0.4 points
respectively.
[04] EU15 current account surplus euro 3.4 billion in third quarter 1999
(! embargo 12 am !) The European Union (EU15) current account was revised
from a deficit of euro 1 billion to a surplus of euro 3.4 billion in the
third quarter 1999 according to Eurostat. This compares to a surplus of
euro 13.3 billion in the third quarter of 1998 and a surplus of euro 10
billion in the second quarter of 1999.
[05] La Commission décide de nouvelles mesures juridiques à l'encontre de
l'Italie pour non-respect de la directive relative au traitement des eaux
urbaines résiduaires
La Commission européenne a décidé d'adresser un avis motivé à l'Italie pour
non-respect, par la ville de Milan, de la directive communautaire relative
au traitement des eaux urbaines résiduaires. Cette ville qui est l'une des
plus peuplées de l'Union européenne (2.700.000 habitants) rejette encore
ses eaux résiduaires non traitées dans le Lambro-Olona, un affluent du Pô,
ce qui contribue de manière significative à la pollution de ce fleuve ainsi
qu'à celle de la côte Adriatique, laquelle souffre d'eutrophisation. La
Commission estime que la directive imposait à cette ville de prendre les
dispositions nécessaires pour assurer, au plus tard à la fin de 1998, un
traitement adéquat de ces eaux. Bien que trois usines de traitement soient
en cours de construction (Milano Sud, Peschiera Borromeo et Nosedo), ces
installations ne seront achevées qu'entre 2002 et 2005, c'est-à-dire bien
au-delà du délai prévu.
[06] Commission to take legal action against Ireland and Portugal over Wild
Birds Directive
The European Commission has decided to make an application to the European
Court of Justice against Ireland for non-respect of the European Union's
Wild Birds Directive. The decision concerns the failure to curb sheep
overgrazing, particularly in the west of Ireland, leading to serious damage
to Ireland's largest special protection area, the Owenduff-Nephin Beg
Complex in County Mayo, as well as wider loss of habitat of the red grouse,
Lagopus lagopus hibernicus. At the same time, the Commission decided to
notify a Reasoned Opinion to Portugal for its failure to respect habitat
safeguards in respect of the Abrilongo project, a major dam and irrigation
project affecting the Campo Maior special protection area.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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