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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-11-10
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
10/11/2000
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission tightens net to protect financial interests
[02] EU oil arrives in Serbia this weekend
[03] Pascal Lamy travels to Gabon to underline EU Support for African
Countries in the World Trading System
[04] Payment systems : Commission pledges to use full powers to create a
Single Payment Area
[05] Poursuite des discussions entre l'UE et le Maroc dans le domaine des
pêches maritimes
[06] Anna Diamantopoulou at G8 Meeting of Labour Ministers
[01] Commission tightens net to protect financial interests
The European Commission is tightening its net to protect EU taxpayers. The
1999 Annual Report on "The Protection of the Communities' Financial
Interests and the Fight against Fraud" takes stock of considerable progress
to build anti-fraud safeguards into the Commission's work. 1999 marks an
important milestone with the establishment of the European Anti-Fraud
Office (OLAF) and the development of a comprehensive anti-fraud strategy.
Examples include new measures to tackle fraud in agriculture, structural
funds and public tenders, as well as new legislative proposals to combat
money laundering and counterfeiting of the euro. Anti-fraud cooperation
agreements with candidate countries and third countries such as Switzerland
have been concluded, ensuring that the fight against fraud does not stop at
the EU's borders. "The creation of OLAF and our new comprehensive approach
in the fight against fraud and irregularities represents a a major step
forward in preventing damage to the Communities interests. We must continue
to work hand-in-hand with Member States to protect the European taxpayer",
said Michaele Schreyer, Commissioner responsible for Budget and the Fight
against Fraud. The full report can be found in various language versions
under the following homepage: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/anti_fraud/index_en.htm
[02] EU oil arrives in Serbia this weekend
The EU's emergency assistance programme to Serbia - approved by the
European Commission on 8 November - will swing into action tomorrow,
Saturday 11 November, with the arrival of a first convoy of 20 trucks
carrying heating fuel for Nis, Pirot, Sombor, Subotica and Novi Sad. The
convoy is due to arrive Sremska Racka border crossing into Serbia at around
noon Saturday 11 November, where it will be met by FRY Energy Minister
Antic and the Charge d'affaires of the European Commission Delegation in
Belgrade, Mr Michael Graham.
[03] Pascal Lamy travels to Gabon to underline EU Support for African
Countries in the World Trading System
European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy will be in Libreville on 13-14
November to participate in the meeting of African Trade Ministers,
organised by the Government of Gabon under the aegis of the WTO. In advance
of his trip, Mr Lamy said : "In going to Libreville to meet with my African
counterparts, I intend to underline the EU's firm commitment to integrating
developing countries fully into the world trading system." Mr Lamy will
also emphasise the need to launch a New WTO Round of trade talks precisely
to ensure that the system takes fuller account of developing countries'
concerns.
[04] Payment systems : Commission pledges to use full powers to create a
Single Payment Area
The European Commission pledged to use its full powers to ensure that banks
take the necessary action to create a single payments area at a Round Table
on "Establishing a Single Payment Area: State of Play and Next Steps" in
Brussels on 9 November. Representatives of the banking and payments
industry discussed with the Commission, the European Parliament, European
Central Bank, consumers and retailers technical innovations to improve the
speed of automatic cross-border credit transfers and how best to direct
future developments in credit card, internet, mobile phone and online
banking. In terms of traditional payment systems, the costs of cross-border
transfers are still too high, though the situation is improving. The
Commission nonetheless warned the banking industry that it was monitoring
progress closely and would publish a study next year on the implementation
of the Cross- Border Credit Transfer Directive (97/5/EC). This will be the
basis for considering a series of new proposals in the autumn of 2001 to
improve traditional payments systems. In conjunction with the Round Table,
the Commission has opened a website designed as an information point and a
forum for public concerns with payment systems. Commission policymakers are
increasingly concerned to ensure that legislation keeps up with
developments in the field of electronic payments. A study is in progress
and as of 2001, the Commission will start analysing its findings with a
view to further proposals in this area. The Commission is already committed
to the publication shortly of a Green Paper on E-Commerce and Financial
Services, which will inter alia pay particular attention to Internet
payments.
[05] Poursuite des discussions entre l'UE et le Maroc dans le domaine des
pêches maritimes
Comme convenu lors de la réunion tenue à Bruxelles le 30 octobre dernier,
les Délégations du Maroc et de la Commission Européenne ont poursuivi les
discussions sur les possibilités de coopération dans le domaine des pêches
maritimes les 8 et 9 novembre 2000 à Rabat. A cette occasion, les deux
parties ont continué l'examen des composantes de leur future coopération
halieutique et ont fixé la date de leur prochaine réunion, qui aura lieu à
Bruxelles, à partir du 21 novembre 2000. Commentant la session de
négociations pour une coopération entre l'Union européenne et le Maroc dans
le secteur de la pêche qui s'est tenue à Rabat le 9 novembre, Gregor
Kreuzhuber, Porte-Parole pour l'Agriculture, le Développement rural et la
Pêche, a déclaré : "Nos entretiens ont été constructifs et des progrès ont
été réalisés. La Commission a présenté sa position relative à l'exercice
d'une pêche durable par la flotte européenne dans les eaux marocaines, aux
débarquements dans les ports marocains, à l'aide au développement pour le
secteur marocain de la pêche ainsi qu'à la durée de la coopération dans le
secteur de la pêche. Cette réunion constitue un nouveau pas en avant vers
un accord de coopération équilibré et ménageant les intérêts des deux
parties. Mais nous avons encore du chemin à faire. Nous ferons le maximum
pour finaliser ces négociations aussi vite que possible. Nos pêcheurs
peuvent avoir l'assurance que la Commission déploie tous ses efforts pour
parvenir à un accord équitable pour toutes les parties. Etant donné que la
CICTA (Commission internationale pour la conservation de thonidés de
l'Atlantique) se réunit la semaine prochaine au Maroc, il a été convenu de
tenir la prochaine réunion technique le 21 novembre, à Bruxelles."
[06] Anna Diamantopoulou at G8 Meeting of Labour Ministers
European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs Anna Diamantopoulou
will tell G8 labour ministers in Turin that Europe's labour markets are in
deep change and becoming more dynamic - and that there is vigour in the
modern European social model, as long as we skill and re-skill. She will
also stress that the EU is concerned with the cost of poverty and exclusion
in the new knowledge society both in Europe and in the developing world.
Labour ministers from the G8 countries meet in Turin, Italy, on 10-11
November 2000, together with the Commission and representatives of the ILO
and OECD and labour and business leaders, to discuss the themes of
employment policies, macroeconomic environment and the challenges of the
digital revolution. They will also focus on active ageing.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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