|
|
|
European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 01-11-12
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 12/11/2001
[01] Message de Romano Prodi à Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Le Président de la Commission européenne, Romano Prodi, a envoyé ce matin
le message suivant au Président de la République Algérienne Démocratique et
Populaire, Abdelaziz Bouteflika : "C'est avec beaucoup de tristesse que
j'ai appris la nouvelle des tragiques intempéries qui se sont abattues sur
l'Algérie, causant un nombre important de victimes, notamment à Alger. Je
tiens à vous adresser, en mon nom personnel et au nom de la Commission
européenne nos plus sincères condoléances. Nous avons une pensée
particulière pour les familles des victimes et tout le peuple algérien,
auxquels nous adressons, par votre intermédiaire, notre profonde sympathie.
J'ai donné des instructions précises afin d'examiner la possibilité
d'apporter une aide aux victimes de cette catastrophe, dès que les besoins
urgents auront été estimés."
[02] Romano Prodi welcomes agreement on climate change
European Commission President Romano Prodi yesterday welcomed agreement on
climante change : "I am delighted that the Climate Change Conference in
Marrakech has reached agreement on implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. I
congratulate the Moroccan Chairman of the Conference on this significant
achievement. The European Commission has played a crucial role in
marshalling arguments and support for Kyoto and Commissioner Margot
Wallström deserves our special thanks. Future generations will have cause
to be grateful for the steps we are taking today to preserve our planet."
[03] EU hails Marrakech agreement on operational rules to combat Climate
Change
The EU objective has reached its objective to make the Kyoto Protocol - the
international framework to cut greenhouse gas emissions - operational.
After two weeks of difficult negotiations, the 7th Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on Climate Change (COP7) in Marrakech has ended
with an agreement on the operational rules to fight climate change. The
package agreed upon includes decisions on compliance rules, the so-called
"flexible mechanisms" and monitoring and reporting obligations for Parties.
All Parties agreed that the package would be sufficient for the timely
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The Protocol has to be ratified by 55
Parties representing 55% of industrialised countries' greenhouse gas
emissions.
[04] € - 50 : eurochangeover preparations; getting there on time
Only 6% of euro-area citizens do not know the exact date of introduction of
euro banknotes and coins, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey on
the euro carried out in October 2001. This is a clear improvement compared
to 46% in September last year. The number of citizens considering
themselves well informed also continued to improve to 58 points (+3 points
compared to the last surveyers. "The endorsement of the Commission's report
on the euro changeover by the Heads of State and Government in Ghent has
helped to increase awareness and inject dynamism in the preparations across
the euro-area. The results of three years of meticulous preparations are
becoming visible. But there is no time to loose ! Member states and all
actors involved in the preparations have to make a last effort to ensure
thant every single citizen masters the basic information about the euro
notes and coins ahead of the 1 January 2002 historical date", stated Pedro
Solbes, European Commissioner for economic and monetary affairs.
[05] Feu vert pour deux programmes de développement rural Leader+ en Italie
: Trento (19,311 millions d'euros) et Umbria (21 millions d'euros)
La Commission européenne a approuvé les programmes relatif à l'initiative
communautaire Leader+ en faveur de la province autonome italienne de
Trento.et de la région italienne Umbria. Se félicitant de cette décision,
M. Franz Fischler, membre de la Commission chargé de l'agriculture, du
développement rural et de la pêche, a déclaré : "Ce programme vise à mettre
en œuvre des idées nouvelles, afin de soutenir la mise en place, dans les
zones rurales italiennes, d'une société, d'une économie et d'un
environnement plus durables. Nous souhaitons améliorer la qualité de vie et
l'attractivité des zones rurales. Leader+ contribuera à valoriser les
produits locaux et à tirer le meilleur parti possible des ressources
naturelles et culturelles." Pour la période 2001-2006, le montant total des
crédits affectés au programme de Trento sera de 19,311 millions d'euros.
Cela comprend une contribution publique de 7,38 millions d'euros, à
l'intérieur de laquelle la contribution communautaire est fixée à 3,69
millions d'euros. Le montant total des crédits affectés au programme en
Umbria sera d'environ 21 millions d'euros. Cela comprend une contribution
publique de 15,14 millions d'euros, à l'intérieur de laquelle la
contribution communautaire est de 7,57 millions d'euros.
[06] La Commission ne voit pas d'obstacles à l'utilisation par la DAT du
crédit-relais de 125 millions d'euros autorisé le 17 octobre 2001
La Commission européenne a confirmé vendredi dernier qu'elle ne voyait pas
d'obstacles à l'utilisation, au titre des aides au sauvetage, du crédit-
relais de 125 millions d'euros octroyé par l'Etat belge à la Sabena. Dans
une lettre adressée le 9 novembre par Loyola de Palacio, vice-présidente en
charge des Transports et de l'Energie, aux autorités belges, la Commission
considère que l'octroi de ce crédit-relais à DAT, filiale à 100% de Sabena,
s'inscrit dans la droite ligne de la décision de la Commission du 17
octobre 2001, autorisant des aides en faveur de l'entreprise Sabena.
[07] Greater transparency is needed to ensure a fair and uniform
implementation of fisheries rules
The European Commission has adopted a report on serious infringements to
the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in 2000. This is the first
report of its kind and is part of a drive to ensure greater transparency in
the control and monitoring of fisheries activities across the European
Union. "Monitoring, control and surveillance policy is an integral part of
the Common Fisheries Policy. This first report represents another step in
the EU's efforts to ensure a fair and uniform implementation of fisheries
rules by tackling he problem caused by the fragmentation of the
organisation of control and monitoring in the EU. As stated in the Green
Paper on the reform of the CFP, published last March, decisive measures
have to be taken to strengthen coordination of national policies in this
domain, if we are to achieve the level-playing field that fishermen have
rightly been calling for", said Franz Fischler, Commissioner responsible
for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries.
[08] Pascal Lamy hails China's accession to WTO as "the greatest leap in
the history of the organisation"
European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy declared the following in Doha on
Saturday 10 November : "Although we are only at the beginning of the
Ministerial, we now have a first and highly important achievement to
celebrate. In welcoming China as a new member of the WTO, we expand our
membership by 1.2 billion people, that is to say by a quarter. This
decision is historic : it is the WTO's greatest leap in the history of the
organisation. Congratulations are in first place due to China. This has
been a long and arduous negotiation, one that took a full fifteen years to
complete. In retrospect, the history of the last fifteen years of
negotiations has also been the history of China's own reform process, its
gradual opening up, and its integration into the world economy. The
phenomenal 7% compound average annual growth rates, which are expected to
continue in the future, testify to the success of the government's economic
policies. People in China are on average four times as wealthy today as
they were in 1978, when the open door policy was started. That is a unique
achievement for a country of its size. So even if at times the WTO
negotiations have been difficult for Chinese and WTO negotiators alike,
today we can pride ourselves on the results achieved and rejoice in having
made new friends in the process. I'm glad to see most of them here with us
today. We must now turn to the future, and I look forward to working
together, hand-in-hand with China, to strengthen further the multilateral
trading system."
[09] Pascal Lamy at the opening press conference in Doha : "Europe has
listened, Europe has moved and Europe is willing to go the extra mile. But
Europe cannot do so alone"
European Commissioner for Trade, Pascal Lamy in a press conference on the
occasion of the opening of the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference on 9 November
said that the EU has come to Doha in a determined and constructive frame of
mind to agree on a programme of negotiations for a new round on
international trade talks. Mr Lamy compared the eve of this Fourth
Ministerial WTO meeting with the eve of the Seattle Ministerial and said
that this brings into sharp focus the progress and efforts the EU has made
over the last two years. Since Seattle "no WTO member has done more to keep
the flame of the multilateral rules-based system alive than the EU" Pascal
Lamy said. "We have listened, especially to developing countries, we have
learned, we have responded, we have delivered". He took the opportunity to
send a message to other WTO members that efforts would be required from
them as well : "if they do, then there's every chance we'll come away with
a win-win result for all concerned".
[10] Franz Fischler : "Strong backing from over 40 countries for non-trade
concerns in agriculture"
Speaking at Ministerial Conference on Non-Trade Concerns on 10 November,
European Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler underlined : "I am pleased that
over 40 developing and developed countries, from Mauritius to South Korea,
from Russia to China, from Europe to Japan, participated in this
conference. This clearly demonstrates that Europe is not alone with its
stance that the role of agriculture goes far beyond the production of food
and fibre. Farming plays a specific role in the development of rural areas,
the maintenance of the environment, and in meeting the challenge of food
security. It must be able to continue to play this role. Our meeting also
demonstrated the clear need to ensure that non-trade concerns are fully
addressed in the ongoing process of agricultural reform. As to the draft
Doha Ministerial Declaration, I must say that the emphasis which has been
given to non-trade concerns as compared to trade or other issues is too
weak. The text needs to be reviewed in order to ensure that greater
importance is given to these essential concerns."
[11] Chris Patten in New York for the General Assembly of the United
Nations
Chris Patten, European Commissioner for External Relations, will be in New
York from 09 November until 14 November 2001 in order to participate at the
General Assembly of the United Nations. During his stay in New York he will
take part in some 28 meetings with third countries or groups of countries.
These comprise bilateral meetings, meetings in Troika format (with the
Belgian Presidency and the High Representative for Common Foreign and
Security Policy), as well as meetings together with the Foreign Ministers
of all Member States. The main focus of the discussions will be the
situation in and around Afghanistan, the global fight against terrorism,
the peace process in the Middle East and the need to deepen mutual
understanding between civilisations.
[12] Recherche et Développement dans l'UE ; un effort accru de R&D en 1999
et 2000 ; de grandes différences entre les pays du Sud et ceux du Nord
Les dépenses de Recherche et Développement (R&D) ont fortement augmenté
dans l'UE en 1999 (+5,6% à prix constants) et ont continué à progresser en
2000, à un rythme cependant plus lent (+2,3%), d'après des données encore
provisoires. Alors que la part des dépenses de R&D dans le PIB a diminué
dans l'UE entre 1995 et 1997, pour passer de 1,90% à 1,86%, elle a retrouvé
son niveau de 1995 à la fin des années quatre-vingt-dix : 1,92% en 1999 et
1,90% en 2000. Néanmoins, l'écart par rapport aux Etats-Unis et au Japon,
qui ont consacré respectivement 2,64% et 3,04% de leur PIB aux dépenses de
R&D en 1999, est resté important. En 2000, les effectifs du secteur R&D
représentaient 1,34% de la main-d'œuvre de l'UE (contre 1,27% en 1995),
confirmant la légère progression observée au cours des cinq dernières
années. Ces informations sont extraites du dernier rapport sur R&D en
Europe publié ce jour par Eurostat.
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Romano Prodi : "An enlarged and more united Europe, a global
player - challenges and opportunities in the new century" to the College of
Europe (Bruges)
Trade and Environment : What Europe really wants and why
Pascal Lamy : plenary speech to the 4th Ministerial meeting (10/11, Doha)
Speech by Pascal Lamy : "Greening Doha : the EU's Trade and Environment
Agenda" at the 'Safe Trade Seminar' Greenpeace (11/11, Doha)
Speech by Franz Fischler to NGO's (10/11, Doha)
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
|
