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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 01-10-08
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 08/10/2001
[01] Statement by European Commission President Romano Prodi on the
military action against terrorism
"At this difficult, solemn and dramatic moment, all Europe stands steadfast
with the United States and its coalition allies to pursue the fight against
terrorism. We are united, and will remain united, in this struggle against
those who attack the very foundations of civilisation. Our fight is not
against religions or peoples. I have asked Chris Patten immediately to
coordinate external actions for which the European Commission has
responsibility. Our assistance is already being mobilised to provide help
to those who may be the innocent victims of this situation and to refugees
escaping from the military action. This is a moment for unity. The
international community stands in solidarity in this struggle, resolved to
build a future of peace and development for all peoples on Earth."
[02] European Company Statute : Commission welcomes formal adoption
The European Commission has welcomed the formal adoption today by the EU's
Council of Ministers on the Regulation to establish a European Company
Statute (ECS) and on the related Directive concerning worker involvement in
European Companies. The European Company (known by its Latin name of
'Societas Europaea' or SE) will now become a reality some 30 years after it
was first proposed. The SE will give companies operating in more than one
Member State the option of being established as a single company under
Community law and so able to operate throughout the EU with one set of
rules and a unified management and reporting system rather than all the
different national laws of each Member State where they have subsidiaries.
For companies active across the Internal Market, the European Company
therefore offers the prospect of reduced administrative costs and a legal
structure adapted to the Internal Market as a whole.
[03] Commission approves ferrous scrap joint venture between Scholz and
Alba
The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition by Scholz AG
of a 50% stake in Elsa GmbH, currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alba.
Both the parent companies and Elsa are based in Germany and trade in
ferrous scrap, but they will face significant competition from other big
players on the market.
[04] Réunion informelle des ministres de l'Audiovisuel
"La réunion des ministres européens de l'Audiovisuel à Mons a confirmé
l'importance du principe de spécificité culturelle", telle est la
conclusion de la commissaire européenne Viviane Reding, en charge à
Bruxelles de la Culture et de l'Audiovisuel à l'issue de la réunion
informelle des ministres de l'Audiovisuel, organisée vendredi et samedi par
la Présidence belge de l'Union européenne.
[05] Michaele Schreyer addresses top financial controllers in Tallinn
European Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer today recalled that
financial control is a key chapter of the enlargement negotiations while
she opened the 4th annual meeting of 'Contact Group for European Financial
Control Organisations' in Tallinn (Estonia). Mrs Schreyer also stressed
that in financial matters legislation is nothing without implementation.
"European Taxpayers want the assurance that their money is spent in an
effective and efficient way", she added. This year's meeting will
concentrate on internal audit and risk management. Financial control
organisations of the 13 EU Candidate Countries (10 Central and Eastern
European Countries, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey) and of 15 EU Member States
together meet under the auspices of the Commission every year since 1998.
Mrs Schreyer will also meet the Finance Minister of Estonia, Mr Siim Kallas,
and the Auditor General, Mr Juhan Parts, of the State Audit Office.
[06] Publication of an 'Enlargement Argumentaire' on the web
As EU enlargement draws closer, it is important that the public, in
particular in the Member States and in the candidate countries, is well
informed of the aspects and implications of accession. The integration of
candidate countries into the EU will generate adjustments which need to be
well understood and foreseen. For the candidate countries, the challenge is
to adapt in the most beneficial way to the economic context of a highly
developed integrated area with common rights and obligations. At the same
time, the economies of present Member States will also be influenced,
although to a relatively lesser extent, and the whole EU will have a
broader dimension. This is the reason why the European Commission is
developing a communications strategy for enlargement aimed at helping the
people of Europe understand the rationale for enlargement, as well as the
benefits it will bring and the challenges it poses. The Directorate-General
for Economic and Financial Affairs is contributing to this exercise with
the publication today of an 'Enlargement Argumentaire'. It includes forty
two questions and answers which cover key economic issues underlying the
integration process associated with enlargement. They focus on five themes
mostly relevant at the EU level : general economic questions, economic and
monetary union, employment and labour markets, agriculture, structural
funds and budget. The full text of the 'Enlargement Argumentaire' can be
found on the DG ECFIN web-site : http://europa.eu.int/comm/economy_finance/document/enlargement/elp05en.pdf
[07] EU issues annual report on US Trade Barriers
The European Commission today released its seventeenth annual report on
barriers to trade and investment in the US. It highlights barriers which
are considered to affect the legitimate rights of EU companies to conduct
trade with the US.
[08] Secteur de la musique et politiques communautaires : conférence
européenne à Bruxelles le 13 octobre 2001
Le secteur musical intéresse les politiques communautaires tant sous
l'angle culturel, éducatif et social, que par son importance économique.
Dans l'Union européenne, ce secteur, très compétitif, se caractérise par
une grande diversité : coexistence d'amateurs et de professionnels, de
grands groupes et de PME, d'une logique industrielle et d'une dimension
culturelle. Afin d'analyser les évolutions de ce secteur, où les nouvelles
technologies de la communication jouent un rôle croissant, et de voir
comment les politiques communautaires peuvent accompagner ces changements,
la Présidence belge organise, avec le soutien de la Commission européenne,
une conférence sur la musique en Europe le 13 octobre prochain au Palais
d'Egmont à Bruxelles.
[09] Where patents and innovation meet
Innovators and businessmen with bright, new ideas do not just need access
to proper financing. They also need adequate protection of intellectual
property rights, so as to make the most of business opportunities, face the
challenges of the knowledge-based economy and turn innovation into
entrepreneurship. The joint European Commission - European Patent Office
(EPO) "Patinnova / Epidos 2001" event will address patent-related issues in
the digital economy : 600 professionals from the world of patents,
innovation and information brokerage will gather from 15 to 18 October in
Cardiff (United Kingdom). The conference will be accompanied by an
exhibition open to the public. Professionals will be on hand from more than
50 organisations to answer questions. Training seminars, open to all, will
run in parallel with the main event.
[10] Autre matériel diffusé
David Byrne visits the US to discuss biotechnology and public health issues
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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