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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-03-03
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Quelle place pour les femmes dans le futur traité ? Conférence de haut
niveau demain à Bruxelles
[02] Commissioner Byrne welcomes historic agreement on global Tobacco
Convention
[03] Commission clears TotalFinaElf's acquisition of the GB gas supply
business
[04] Commission clears acquisition of joint control over GAUM by Berkshire
Hathaway and Converium
[05] Labour Costs in the EU - Hourly labour costs in 2000 varied between
8.10 euro in Portugal and 28.60 euro in Sweden; Wide variation between
Acceding countries also
[06] Commission clears acquisition of Deutsche Telekom's television cable
business by three international investor groups
[07] Commission clears joint venture between Siemens and Sequa Corp
[08] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 03/03/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 03/03/2003
[01] Quelle place pour les femmes dans le futur traité ? Conférence de haut
niveau demain à Bruxelles
Devrait-il y avoir un article sur l'égalité des sexes avec effet juridique
direct dans le futur traité constitutionnel européen ? A quoi cet article
devrait-il ressembler ? Devrait-il par exemple permettre à l'UE de prendre
des actions positives de promotion de l'égalité des sexes ? Mme Viviane
Reding, membre de la Commission européenne responsable de l'Education et de
la Culture, a pris l'initiative d'organiser une conférence de haut niveau
sur « l'égalité des sexes et le futur de l'Europe » le 4 mars à Bruxelles.
60 professeurs d'université, ainsi que des leaders politiques européens
dont Mme Anna Diamantopoulou, membre de la Commission européenne en charge
de l'emploi et des affaires sociales, Mme Karamanou, présidente de la
commission des droits de la femme du Parlement européen et MM. Dehaene et
Mendez de Vigo, membres de la Convention, vont se rencontrer et débattre
des différentes options. L'objectif est de formuler des propositions
spécifiques aux membres de la Convention sur le futur de l'Europe.
[02] Commissioner Byrne welcomes historic agreement on global Tobacco
Convention
Commenting on today's historic agreement in Geneva on the world's first
global Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), EU Health and
Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne welcomed this major
breakthrough in the fight to stem the tobacco epidemic. He said: "Today the
tide has turned decisively, in the battle to empower our citizens to live
healthy lives, free from the scourge of tobacco. Despite the best efforts
of the addiction industry and its allies, it is heartening to witness an
alliance of countries from all corners of the globe, standing up together
to put their citizens first. Building on this first big step, we can work
together to reverse the rising death-toll which now claims nearly five
million lives every year, and which will double if we fail to act
resolutely. I would like to congratulate Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland on her
courageous leadership in this vital issue." The European Union has played a
leading role in developing and promoting tobacco control policies within
the EU and in the FCTC framework.
[03] Commission clears TotalFinaElf's acquisition of the GB gas supply
business
The European Commission has granted regulatory approval to TotalFinaElf's
acquisition of Mobil Gas' Great Britain gas supply business. The
transaction will to a limited extent influence competition on the market
for supply of gas to large industrial and commercial customers and
customers of interruptible gas in Great Britain. The acquisition does not
give rise to serious competition concerns given the presence of several
other large gas suppliers in the market.
[04] Commission clears acquisition of joint control over GAUM by Berkshire
Hathaway and Converium
The European Commission has approved the acquisition of joint control by
the US holding company Berkshire Hathaway and the Swiss reinsurance company
Converium of the UK undertaking Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers
Limited ("GAUM"), previously jointly controlled by the UK insurance
companies Aviva and Royal & Sun Alliance.
[05] Labour Costs in the EU - Hourly labour costs in 2000 varied between
8.10 euro in Portugal and 28.60 euro in Sweden; Wide variation between
Acceding countries also
According to Eurostat, in 2000, average labour costs per hour worked in
industry and services were lowest in Portugal (8.13 euro), Greece (10.40
euro), Spain (14.22 euro) and Ireland (17.34 euro) and were highest in
Sweden (28.56 euro), Denmark (27.10 euro) and Germany (26.54 euro). In 2000,
among the Acceding Countries (Malta not included), the average labour costs
per hour worked in industry and services ranged from 2.42 euro in Latvia
and 2.71 euro in Lithuania to 10.74 euro in Cyprus and 8.98 euro in
Slovenia.
[06] Commission clears acquisition of Deutsche Telekom's television cable
business by three international investor groups
The European Commission has today approved the acquisition of Deutsche
Telekom's television cable business by three international investor groups.
The acquirors - Apax Europe V (Channel Islands), The Goldman SAchs Group,
Inc (USA) and Providence Equity Partners Ltd (United Kingdom) are
investment funds or are active in investment banking. As there is no
overlap or other relationship between the investor's business activities or
activities of company's controlled by the investors and the cable
activities of Deutsche Telekom, the planned transaction does not raise any
competition concerns. It was therefore cleared according to the simplified
procedure. (The operation, notified on 30 January 2003, was examined under
the simplified merger review procedure)
[07] Commission clears joint venture between Siemens and Sequa Corp
The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation
to the creation of a joint venture between Germany's Siemens AG and Sequa
Corporation, a US company active in the aerospace and other sectors. The JV
agreement consists of three operating companies in the field of component
repair and field service of mature technology industrial gas turbine
engines for power generation. (The operation, notified on 30 January 2003,
was examined under the simplified merger review procedure)
[08] Autre matériel diffusé
Preparation of Environment Council 4 March 2003
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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