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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-03-24
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 Service Presse et Communicationb
24/03/2000
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Romano Prodi reaffirms support for East Timor's move towards
independence
[02] Commission approves Singapore Airlines' acquisition of a stake in
Virgin Atlantic Airways
[03] La Commission autorise la reprise de Meyer International plc par la
Compagnie de Saint-Gobain
[04] Commission adopts plans to allow 15m buses throughout the EU
[05] WTO farm negotiations : "EU constructive but firm", Franz Fischler
says
[01] Romano Prodi reaffirms support for East Timor's move towards
independence
European Commission President Romano Prodi has reaffirmed the Commission's
support for East Timor's transition towards independence and for its
reconstruction and rehabilitation. Mr Prodi used a meeting with Xanana
Gusmao and António Guterres, Portuguese Prime Minister, in Lisbon yesterday
to reiterate the Commission's goal of seeing East Timor become a viable
country, integrated into the regional economy and a factor of stability in
that part of the world. EU financial assistance for East Timor has topped
euro 33.5 million, 15 million of it as immediate humanitarian aid, 8.5
million as food aid and a further 10 million in support for the
establishment of the UN administration on the island. The EU will now start
focusing on post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction, with a total
of euro 60 million be made available over the 2000-2002 period.
[02] Commission approves Singapore Airlines' acquisition of a stake in
Virgin Atlantic Airways
The European Commission has cleared under the Merger Regulation Singapore
Airlines' acquisition of a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways. The
transaction will give Singapore Airlines together with Virgin's holding
company Barford Services joint control over Virgin Atlantic Airways. The
Commission found that both airlines' activities are largely complementary.
Therefore, the Commission did not raise any competition objections. Virgin
Atlantic Airlines was founded in 1984 and focuses primarily on long haul
international flights. It has a fleet of 29 aircraft and operates scheduled
services to 18 destinations worldwide. Singapore Airlines is based in
Singapore and operates a global network of scheduled air transport.
Singapore Airlines has a fleet of 97 aircraft and flies to 118 destinations
worldwide. The decision of the Commission only concerns the application of
the Merger Regulation and is without prejudice to the application of other
rules of EU law.
[03] La Commission autorise la reprise de Meyer International plc par la
Compagnie de Saint-Gobain
La Commission européenne a autorisé une opération par laquelle la société
française Saint-Gobain, qui exerce des activités de production, de vente et
de distribution de verre, de matériaux à hautes performances et de
matériaux de construction, acquiert le contrôle exclusif du groupe
britannique de commerce de gros en matériaux de construction Meyer. Les
activités de distribution des deux sociétés portent en grande partie sur
des produits et des clients différents et elles ne se chevauchent qu'en ce
qui concerne les tubes et les pièces moulées pour réseaux municipaux au
Royaume-Uni. Même sur ces marchés, leurs parts cumulées ne sont pas très
élevées et Saint-Gobain/Meyer sera confrontée à la concurrence de plusieurs
concurrents nationaux et européens importants tant pour la distribution que
pour la production de matériaux de construction. La concentration ne posera
par conséquent aucun problème du point de vue de son incidence sur la
concurrence.
[04] Commission adopts plans to allow 15m buses throughout the EU
To amend current legislation, the European Commission adopted on 23 March a
proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 96/53/EC on maximum
weights and dimensions of road vehicles. At present Council Directive (EC)
No 96/53 lays down, inter alia, the maximum permitted length and width in
the European Union for vehicles and vehicle combinations for the transport
of goods. However, no equivalent legislation exists laying down the maximum
permitted length and width in the EU for vehicles and vehicle combinations
for the transport of passengers. The primary purpose of the proposal is to
thus extend the scope of the Directive to include buses. The new proposal
foresees that the maximum length of rigid buses is set at 15m and the
maximum width at 2.55m throughout the EU. It is acknowledged that in a
minority of Member States this will result in an increase in the maximum
permitted length and width of rigid buses. In order to ensure that they
pose no additional risk to road safety and create no additional problems
for road infrastructure buses will thus be required to also meet specified
outswing requirements. Furthermore, to avoid road damage through
overloading buses over 12m in length will have to have three or more axles.
The proposal will also limit the maximum length of buses fitted with
additional luggage boxes ('skiboxes') to 15m, and the opportunity is taken
to formally confirm the maximum permitted length of a bus with trailer is
18.75m. The maximum length of articulated buses remains unchanged at 18m
and the proposal does not set a harmonised maximum height for buses.
[05] WTO farm negotiations : "EU constructive but firm", Franz Fischler
says
On the occasion of the start of the WTO negotiations on agriculture in
Geneva, Franz Fischler, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural
Development and Fisheries, underlined the constructive role the European
Union is prepared to play : "As agreed in the Marakech-Agreement, we will
take a further step towards the liberalisation of farm trade. But we have
to strike the right balance between progressive reductions in support and
protection and 'non-trade concerns'. I am convinced that good and quick
progress can be made. This is also in our interest because the EU is the
world's second biggest exporter of agricultural products. Once all the WTO
members have presented their negotiation positions, we can start to talk
substance. Still, the Commission stands firm on its view that we have to
launch a comprehensive trade round as soon as possible."
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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