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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 01-03-13
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
Midday Express 13/03/2001
[01] European Consumer Day on 15 March to stimulate debate on food quality
The theme of this year's European Consumer Day is food quality. The
European Commission organises a European Consumer Day Conference in
Brussels on 15 March to stimulate the debate on the issue recently launched
by Commissioners David Byrne, responsible for Health and Consumer
Protection, and Franz Fischler, responsible for Agriculture and Fisheries.
The Commission is also co-sponsoring Consumer Day events in EU Member
States with national consumer bodies. Events take place in form of public
debates, internet discussion fora, media cooperations and even theatre
performances (in Helsinki). The programme of the conference in Brussels
focuses on food quality, food safety and nutrition. Keynote speakers
include Caroline Jackson, President of the European Parliament's Committee
for the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy, and Gerard Pascal,
President of the EU Scientific Steering Committee. The Conference will be
opened by Magda Aelvoet, Belgian Minister for Consumer Affairs, Public
Health and the Environment, and Robert Coleman, Director General of the
Commission's DG for Health and Consumer Protection. David Byrne will
deliver the closing speech.
[02] Commission clears Degussa purchase of Laporte subject to a divestment
package
The European Commission has given the go-ahead for Degussa AG, a German-
based company belonging to E.ON AG, to acquire sole control of the British
company Laporte PLC. Both companies are active in the manufacturing of
speciality and other chemical products with substantial overlaps. But the
parties made concessions in order to achieve regulatory clearance in the
first phase of the investigation.
[03] Services financiers : la Commission se félicite de l'adoption par le
Conseil de la Directive sur la liquidation des établissements de crédit
La Commission européenne se félicite de l'adoption par le Conseil des
ministres de l'Economie et des Finances qui s'est tenu le 12 mars de la
proposition de Directive sur l'assainissement et la liquidation des
établissements de crédit. En vertu de cette Directive, en cas
d'insolvabilité d'un établissement de crédit ayant des succursales dans
d'autres Etats membres, la liquidation s'inscrira dans une procédure
d'insolvabilité unique engagée dans l'Etat membre où l'établissement a son
siège statutaire (appelé l'Etat d'origine) et sera régie par un droit
unique en matière de faillite, celui de l'Etat d'origine. Cette approche
s'inscrit dans le droit fil du principe du contrôle par le pays d'origine
qui est à la base des directives communautaires en matière d'établissements
de crédit. La Directive comble une lacune majeure dans la législation de
l'Union européenne sur les services financiers. Elle constitue l'une des
premières priorités du Plan d'action pour les services financiers (voir
IP/00/556) et l'importance de sa mise en oeuvre a été réaffirmée au sommet
de Lisbonne.
[04] Financial services : Commission welcomes political agreement on
investment fund management Directive
The European Commission has welcomed the political agreement reached on 12
March by the Council of Economics and Finance Ministers on the proposed
Directive updating legislation on companies managing collective investment
undertakings (UCITS). UCITS (such as common funds, unit trusts and SICAVs),
where investors' money is placed by a qualified fund manager in a diverse
range of assets according to defined risk criteria, enable private
investors with limited resources to invest in financial markets. They
constitute a major market sector, with assets of more than euro 3.5
trillion at the end of 2000. The agreed proposal is to be applied jointly
with another proposed Directive, on which Council reached political
agreement 17 October 2000. The latter aims at removing barriers to cross-
border marketing of units of collective investment undertakings by widening
the range of assets in which they can invest. Both proposals form part of
the Financial Services Action Plan which aims to build a single European
financial market by 2005 (see IP/00/556) and was strongly endorsed at the
Lisbon European Council. They are based on the twin amended proposals the
Commission adopted in May 2000 (see IP/00/567), which take into account the
European Parliament's February 2000 Opinion. The Council now has to adopt a
common position on each of the UCITS proposals and is expected to put them
forward to the Parliament by mid-spring.
[05] EU welcomes landmark WTO ruling upholding legality of French ban on
asbestos on health grounds
In a report issued yesterday in Geneva, the WTO Appellate Body has ruled in
favour of the EU in finding that the French ban on asbestos and asbestos-
containing products does not violate international trade rules. The WTO was
called to rule on the asbestos ban following Canada's claims that the
French measure was contrary to WTO law. The Appellate Body has stated that
dangerous substances cannot be judged to be similar to safer substitutes.
Welcoming the report European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said : "This
ruling shows that the WTO is responsive to our citizens concerns.
Legitimate health issues can be put above pure trade concerns. The ruling
confirms that regulators can set the desired level of protection of
health."
[06] WTO Appellate Body to adopt ruling on EU anti-dumping measures on
imports of cotton-type bed linen from India
In a report adopted yesterday, the WTO Appellate Body has confirmed that
certain widely used practices to calculate dumping do not comply with the
applicable WTO rules. These practices are used not only by the EU but also
by the USA and India. The EU will implement the ruling to the full and
swiftly, within weeks. Overall, however the findings in the bed-linen case
support the EU's policy and practice since 26 of the 31 claims made by
India were rejected.
[07] New euro 1.2 million Phare project on judicial cooperation in criminal
matters in the candidate countries
On 14-16 March 2001, the European Commission will host a conference in
Brussels launching a new euro 1.2 million Phare project to support the
Central European candidate countries in adopting and implementing the body
of the European Union law in the area of judicial cooperation in criminal
matters. Cooperation in this area is an important part of the EU's agenda
for the creation of an area of freedom, security and justice, based on
application of the rule of law.
[08] Tremblements de terre au Salvador : la Commission approuve l'octroi
d'une aide humanitaire supplémentaire de 8 millions d'euros
La Commission européenne a exposé les éléments concernant une aide
supplémentaire répondant aux deux tremblements de terre qui ont frappé
gravement le Salvador en janvier et en février. Cette nouvelle aide, d'un
montant de 8 millions d'euros qui s'ajoutent à une première enveloppe de 2
millions d'euros, porte le total à 10 millions d'euros.
[09] Mergers approved under the simplified procedure
- Hermes Versicherungsbeteiligungen GmbH (Germany) / Codan A/S (Denmark) -
Banco Popular Español (Spain) / Fortior Holding, S.A. (Spain) - Telefonica
S.A. (Spain) / Portugal Telecom S.A. (Portugal) / Brazilian JV
- Vattenfall AB (Sweden) / Hamburger Electrizitätswerke Aktiengesellschaft
(Germany) / Nordic Powerhouse GmbH (Germany)
[10] Autre matériel diffusé Note sur les résultats du Conseil Ecofin
Note sur les résultats du Conseil Marché intérieur
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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