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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-05-07
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] La nouvelle approche : des règles pour des produits plus sûrs,
meilleur marché et plus compétitifs
[02] Commission proposes Regulation to simplify use of State aid for SME
research and development
[03] Commission authorises Germany to grant €3.3 billion aid to its coal
industry
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[04] Foreign Sales Corporations : following WTO authorisation to apply
countermeasures of up to $4 billion, EU expects US to ensure compliance
with WTO rules before the beginning of next year
[05] Update on avian influenza in the Netherlands and Belgium
[06] La Commission donne son accord à la création, par Compass et Cremonini,
d'une coentreprise de restauration autoroutière
[07] Renforcement du partenariat entre l'OMS et la Commission dans le
domaine de la santé
[08] Financial reporting : Commission welcomes adoption of Directive to
modernise and update accounting rules
[09] Greek consumers get connected : David Byrne opens a European Consumer
Centre in Athens
[10] La nouvelle Agence européenne pour la sécurité aérienne recherche un
directeur exécutif
[11] Media invitation grassroots email campaign in support of UN spreads to
Europe
Midday Express 07/05/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 07/05/2003[I] Résultats de la Commission
de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission meeting
[01] La nouvelle approche : des règles pour des produits plus sûrs,
meilleur marché et plus compétitifs
La Commission européenne a adopté une communication visant à imprimer un
nouvel élan à la dynamique en faveur de produits européens plus sûrs,
meilleur marché et plus compétitifs, intitulée "Améliorer la mise en œuvre
des directives nouvelle approche". La nouvelle approche est une technique
législative consistant à définir des exigences de produits essentielles
obligatoires pour assurer un niveau élevé de protection du public, tout en
laissant le choix de la solution technique aux parties intéressées
(utilisateurs, fabricants, etc.). En raison de sa flexibilité, la nouvelle
approche s'est avérée être une technique extrêmement efficace de promotion
de la compétitivité industrielle, de l'innovation de produits et de libre
circulation des marchandises dans l'UE. Il s'agit d'un exemple précoce
d'une approche "co-réglementaire" appliquant toutes les parties prenantes
dans le mouvement vers une meilleure qualité de la réglementation. Les
directives "nouvelle approche" couvrent à présent plus de 20 secteurs
industriels et des milliers de produits industriels, allant des matériaux
de construction aux jouets en passant par les équipements médicaux, les
appareils de chauffage au gaz, les embarcations de loisir, les machines-
outils et les équipements de radio/télécommunication. S'appuyant sur près
de 20 années d'expérience de la nouvelle approche, la communication
présente des propositions sur les modalités de renforcement du système.
[02] Commission proposes Regulation to simplify use of State aid for SME
research and development
The European Commission has proposed a Regulation on research and
development (R&D) aid in favour of small and medium sized enterprises
(SMEs), aimed at simplifying and facilitating Member States' research and
development initiatives. Under this Regulation Member States may grant aid
for research and development for SMEs without having to notify them
beforehand, or seek the Commission's prior clearance. The proposal foresees
that Member States may cover up to 100% of expenses for fundamental (basic,
non market-oriented) research, 60% for industrial (market-oriented)
research and 35% for pre-competitive development (market-oriented research,
but focusing on the pre-commercial stage). The new Regulation does not
prejudge other types of research and development aid, but these aid
measures will need to be notified and examined by the Commission on a case
by case basis.
[03] Commission authorises Germany to grant €3.3 billion aid to its coal
industry
The European Commission has decided not to raise any objections to the €3.3
billion aid package which Germany is proposing to grant to its coal
industry for the year 2003. The Commission has also approved a
restructuring plan for the German coal industry covering the period 2003 to
2007. Both aids are compatible with the proper functioning of the common
market.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[04] Foreign Sales Corporations : following WTO authorisation to apply
countermeasures of up to $4 billion, EU expects US to ensure compliance
with WTO rules before the beginning of next year
(! embargo 3.30 pm !) Today, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body authorised the
EU to increase customs duties up to the level of 100%, for a total of $4
billion of US Trade. This move clears the way for the EU to impose
countermeasures to be applied on a detailed list of products notified to
the DSB. European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said : "I am encouraged by
the determination of the US Administration and Congressional leaders to
ensure repeal of FSC/ETI during the course of the current fiscal year. I
also trust that any solution found by the US will be fully compatible with
WTO rules. The Commission will review the situation in the autumn, and if
there is no sign that compliance is on the way at that time, it would then
start the legislative procedure for the adoption of countermeasures by 1
January 2004."
[05] Update on avian influenza in the Netherlands and Belgium
The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health yesterday
discussed again the avian influenza situation in the Netherlands and
Belgium. Since the beginning of the outbreak in the Netherlands on 28
February, 250 infected holdings have been confirmed and another 10 are
seriously suspected to be contaminated. In total, approximately 25 million
birds have been culled in the Netherlands. On 16 April the disease also
spread to Belgium where to date 8 outbreaks have been confirmed. In total,
about 2,3 million birds have been culled. The last outbreak in Belgium
dates from 24 April. The Committee voted in favour of a European Commission
proposal to extend until 16 May the existing measures to prevent the
spreading of the disease and to eradicate it. No live poultry, hatching
eggs and fresh, unprocessed poultry manure or litter may be exported to
other Member States or third countries and, with some derogations, no live
poultry and hatching eggs may be transported within the Netherlands or
Belgium. The situation will be reviewed at the next meeting of the
Committee on Thursday 15 May.
[06] La Commission donne son accord à la création, par Compass et Cremonini,
d'une coentreprise de restauration autoroutière
La Commission européenne a donné son accord à la création d'une
coentreprise par la société britannique de restauration Compass Group PLC
et la société agro-alimentaire italienne Cremonini SpA, également active
dans la restauration concédée. Cette coentreprise, qui prendra le contrôle
de deux sociétés exploitant des restaurants sur les autoroutes italiennes
et, dans une moindre mesure, sur les autoroutes autrichiennes, ne pose pas
de problèmes de concurrence.
[07] Renforcement du partenariat entre l'OMS et la Commission dans le
domaine de la santé
L'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) et la Commission européenne ont
tenu aujourd'hui une série de consultations de haut niveau à Bruxelles en
vue de renforcer et d'étendre leur collaboration dans le domaine de la
santé publique. Les commissaires David Byrne (Santé), Pascal Lamy
(Commerce), Philippe Busquin (Recherche), Margot Wallström (Environnement)
et le chef de cabinet du commissaire Nielson (Développement) se sont
entretenus avec le directeur général de l'OMS, le Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland,
ainsi qu'avec le directeur régional de l'OMS pour l'Europe, le Dr Marc
Danzon. Ils ont débattu des stratégies communes à adopter pour faire face à
toute une série de questions de santé, telles que la lutte contre les
maladies transmissibles et notamment le syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère
(SRAS) , la convention-cadre pour la lutte antitabac, une stratégie
concernant les régimes alimentaires, l'activité physique et la santé, la
recherche sur la santé à l'échelle mondiale, l'environnement et la santé,
ainsi que le partenariat stratégique entre l'UE et l'OMS dans le domaine du
développement. La diversité des thèmes abordés lors des réunions reflète la
coopération de plus en plus étroite entre l'OMS et la Commission.
[08] Financial reporting : Commission welcomes adoption of Directive to
modernise and update accounting rules
The European Commission has welcomed the definitive adoption of a Directive
amending the European Union Accounting Directives, following its approval
by the EU's Council of Ministers on 6 May. The changes, approved by the
European Parliament in January 2003 (see IP/03/47), bring existing EU rules
into line with current best practice. They complement the International
Accounting Standards (IAS) Regulation, adopted in June 2002, that requires
all EU companies listed on a regulated market to use IAS from 2005 onwards
and allows Member States to extend this requirement to all companies (see
IP/02/417 and IP/02/799). The amendments allow Member States which do not
apply IAS to all companies to move towards similar, high quality financial
reporting, and could therefore affect up to five million companies. They
provide for appropriate accounting for special purpose vehicles, improve
the disclosure of risks and uncertainties and increase the consistency of
audit reports across the EU.
[09] Greek consumers get connected : David Byrne opens a European Consumer
Centre in Athens
(! embargo 6 pm !) European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner
David Byrne will today in Athens open a centre advising Greek consumers on
their rights and helping them with any problems they encounter in the EU's
Internal Market. He will be joined by Akis Tsohatzopoulos, the Greek
Minister of Development. The new centre will link Greece to the Europe-wide
"Euroguichet" network of consumer advice centres. Though consumer
protection has been a priority of Europe for many years, citizens are often
unsure of their rights when shopping across borders.
[10] La nouvelle Agence européenne pour la sécurité aérienne recherche un
directeur exécutif
La Commission européenne a lancé aujourd'hui une nouvelle procédure pour le
recrutement du directeur exécutif de l'Agence européenne pour la sécurité
aérienne (EASA). Cette publication fait suite à la demande du Conseil
d'administration de l'agence de republier le poste qui avait initialement
été annoncé le 27/09/2002. Cette nouvelle agence permettra à la Commission
et aux Etats membres de disposer de l'aide technique et scientifique
nécessaire à l'établissement des normes les plus élevées possibles en
matière de sécurité aérienne, de veiller à leur application uniforme en
Europe et de promouvoir leur diffusion dans le monde entier.
[11] Media invitation grassroots email campaign in support of UN spreads to
Europe
Today at 19h00 the Belgian TV presenter Goedele Liekens and American
actress and film star Linda Gray will launch a media campaign on behalf of
"34 Million Friends of UNFPA" to raise funds from civil society in Europe
to help the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) make pregnancy and
childbirth safer for women in over 140 developing countries. Members of the
European Parliament and EU officials will attend, together with several
UNFPA Goodwill Ambassadors. European Commissioner for Development and
Humanitarian Aid, Poul Nielson, currently in Iraq, will be represented by
Jacobus Richelle, Director-General of DG Development. The European Union
has provided over €50 million to UNFPA over the past few years. The
grassroots email campaign was launched last year in the US by two American
women following the US Administration withdrawal of $34 million in funding
to UNFPA in July 2002 following a report from an anti-choice group about
UNFPA's work in China. The fund-raising campaign aims at replacing the $34
million through private donations. It is estimated that the $34 million
withdrawn would prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies per year, nearly 800,
000 abortions and 4,700 maternal deaths. Over 100,000 Americans have
already contributed over $1 million. The launching will take place at the
Résidence Palace Theatre at the International Press Center, Rue de la Loi
155/Wetstraat, 155, 1040 Brussels.
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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