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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-07-22
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] No hiding place for rogue traders: Commission proposes EU-wide network
of national watchdogs
[02] Contrefaçon : la Commission salue l'adoption du nouveau règlement pour
renforcer l'intervention des douanes
[03] Libre circulation des biens: la Commission poursuit des procédures
d'infraction contre l'Autriche, la Belgique, les Pays-Bas et l'Espagne
[04] WTO negotiations - EU and Japan determined to cut the costs of anti-
dumping investigations for companies
[05] Pascal Lamy meets Asian Trade Ministers to strengthen EU-Asia Trade
Relations
[06] Commission clears Heineken purchase of Austrian brewer BBAG
[07] Eurobarometer surveys show convergence of views on major issues in
current and future Member States
[08] La Commission adopte une proposition de règlement sur la loi
applicable aux obligations non-contractuelles ("Rome II")
[09] Chris Patten to Attend ASEM Meeting, Bali 23/24 July
[10] La Commission autorise l'acquisition du contrôle exclusif de la
société minière brésilienne Caemi par le producteur de minerai de fer CVRD ,
sous réserve du respect de certaines conditions
[11] Commission tells all 15 Member States to secure compliance with EU
laws on air pollution
[12] Environmental Impact Assessment Directive: Commission pursues legal
action against eight Member States
[13] Council and Parliament prohibit antibiotics as growth promoters:
Commissioner Byrne welcomes adoption of Regulation on feed additives
[14] La Commission récupère 115,25 millions d'euros indûment dépensés par
les États membres au titre de la politique agricole
[15] Commission clears acquisition of Chubb by United Technologies
[16] Accession of Saudi Arabia to the WTO - substantial progress on
bilateral negotiations with the EU
[17] Trade and Labour: European Commission welcomes Council conclusions on
promoting core labour standards
[18] EU-WTO: Pascal Lamy welcomes Council conclusions on the Road to Cancun
[19] European Commission lifts systematic control of Indonesian shrimp
imports
Midday Express 22/07/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 22/07/2003
[01] No hiding place for rogue traders: Commission proposes EU-wide network
of national watchdogs
Unscrupulous traders will no longer be able to evade consumer protection
authorities by targeting consumers living in other EU countries. The
Commission has adopted a proposal for a regulation which will link up
national enforcement authorities and enable them to take co-ordinated
action against rogue traders who abuse the freedom of the EU's Internal
Market in order to deceive consumers. The regulation will remove existing
barriers to information exchange and cooperation and empowers enforcement
authorities to seek and obtain action from their counterparts in other
Member States. Following the recently adopted proposal for a Directive on
Unfair Commercial Practices (see IP/03/857), today's proposal forms part of
the Commission's drive to improve enforcement in the Internal Market (see
IP/03/645), as set out in the Internal Market Strategy 2003-2006. The
proposal will now be forwarded to the European Parliament and the Council
as well as to the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee
of the Regions. It will be adopted through co-decision and could enter into
force in 2005.
[02] Contrefaçon : la Commission salue l'adoption du nouveau règlement pour
renforcer l'intervention des douanes
La Commission européenne a salué l'adoption par le Conseil des ministres de
l'UE d'un règlement contribuant à la lutte contre la contrefaçon et la
piraterie. Ce règlement, qui entrera en application le 1er juillet 2004 et
remplacera le règlement existant (3295/94/CE), détermine les conditions et
les modalités d'intervention des autorités douanières à l'égard de
marchandises soupçonnées de porter atteinte à certains droits de propriété
intellectuelle. Le nouveau règlement apporte plus de clarté juridique,
étend l'application aux nouveaux droits de propriété intellectuelle,
facilite l'accès à la réglementation pour les titulaires de droits et
constitue donc un outil législatif performant permettant de mieux
appréhender ces phénomènes de fraude.
[03] Libre circulation des biens: la Commission poursuit des procédures
d'infraction contre l'Autriche, la Belgique, les Pays-Bas et l'Espagne
La Commission européenne a décidé de saisir la Cour à l'encontre de
l'Autriche en ce qui concerne l'interdiction de la vente par correspondance
de compléments alimentaires, ainsi que d'autres obstacles à la
commercialisation de ces produits. Elle traduira également la Belgique
devant la Cour en ce qui concerne l'interdiction dans ce pays du commerce
des oiseaux nés et élevés en captivité. La Commission a aussi demandé
formellement à la Belgique, aux Pays Bas, et à l'Espagne de mettre fin à
des entraves injustifiées concernant les systèmes d'alarme (Belgique et
Pays-Bas) et les porte-vélos pour les voitures (Espagne). Les demandes de
la Commission prennent la forme d'avis motivés, deuxième étape de la
procédure d'infraction en vertu de l'article 226 du traité CE. Si les
autorités nationales ne répondent pas de façon satisfaisante dans les deux
mois suivant la réception de l'avis motivé, la Commission peut décider de
saisir la Cour de justice. La Commission estime que toutes ces entraves
constituent des violations des règles du Traité sur la libre circulation de
marchandises dans le marché intérieur (Articles 28 à 30).
[04] WTO negotiations - EU and Japan determined to cut the costs of anti-
dumping investigations for companies
In the on-going WTO negotiations under the "Doha Development Agenda" the EU
and Japan have jointly submitted a proposal aimed at reducing the costs of
participating in anti-dumping investigations. The paper targets practices
such as excessive information requirements, inadequate procedural rules,
unclear substantive rules and rules granting too much discretion to the
investigating authorities. When confronted with these shortcomings, parties
often refrain from defending their rights which in turn makes the adoption
of anti-dumping measures easier. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said:
"Ensuring fair trade should go hand in hand with clear, transparent and
predictable rules. This is the way we prevent abuses of the system. If our
proposals are adopted, companies who are subject to anti-dumping
investigations will have a real possibility to defend their rights. Cutting
down costs of anti-dumping investigations is essential for exporters in
developing countries, in particular, who often have scarce resources."
[05] Pascal Lamy meets Asian Trade Ministers to strengthen EU-Asia Trade
Relations
EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy will attend the 5th Asia Europe Meeting
of Economic and Trade Ministers (ASEM EMM5) which brings together ministers
from ten Asian countries, the EU-15 and the European Commission in Dalian
(China) from 23 to 24 July 2002. Closer co-ordination on the on-going WTO
negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda, initiatives to enhance
trade and investment links between Europe and Asia as well as the EU's
upcoming enlargement will feature high on the agenda. Before leaving for
Dalian, Pascal Lamy said: "Less than two months ahead of the WTO meeting in
Cancun in September, EU and Asia have in Dalian an opportunity to send a
clear message in support of the on-going negotiations under the Doha
Development Agenda. We need to make sure that opening markets and creating
new trading rules will be to the benefit of all and in particular
developing countries."
[06] Commission clears Heineken purchase of Austrian brewer BBAG
The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of Austrian
brewer BBAG by Heineken of the Netherlands. The combination of BBAG and
Heineken does not give rise to any competition concerns given that they
have only minor overlapping businesses in the European beer market.
[07] Eurobarometer surveys show convergence of views on major issues in
current and future Member States
The European Commission today unveils for the first time a comparative
study of public attitudes in both the current and future Member States of
the European Union. Surveys reveal largely similar attitudes across the
continent on both the major political and social issues of the day and on
attitudes towards the EU. Material released today includes the full results
of the spring Eurobarometer survey, the full results of the spring
Eurobarometer survey in the 10 future Member States and 3 candidate
countries, as well as a comparative study of the two.
[08] La Commission adopte une proposition de règlement sur la loi
applicable aux obligations non-contractuelles ("Rome II")
La Commission européenne a adopté aujourd'hui une proposition de règlement
qui vise à harmoniser les règles concernant la loi applicable aux
obligations non-contractuelles (« Rome II »). Cette mesure s'inscrit dans
le cadre des travaux en cours au sein de l'Union européenne en vue de créer
un véritable espace européen de liberté et de justice. Il s'agit d'assurer
que les tribunaux de tous les États membres appliquent la même loi en cas
de litige transfrontière portant sur une obligation non contractuelle,
facilitant ainsi la reconnaissance mutuelle des décisions de justice dans
l'Union européenne. Les règles proposées par la Commission permettent de
réaliser un juste équilibre entre les intérêts des différentes parties
impliquées dans un litige transfrontière et de désigner une loi qui
présente des liens étroits avec la situation.
[09] Chris Patten to Attend ASEM Meeting, Bali 23/24 July
The European Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten will attend
the forthcoming ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali on 23rd and 24th
July, where he will present the European Commission's new Communication "A
new Partnership with South East Asia". The meeting is an opportunity to
discuss ways to revitalise the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) process, shared
challenges such as terrorism and non proliferation, as well as the
situations in Burma/Myanmar and North Korea. The Commissioner will
participate in a number of bilateral and troika-format meetings in Bali,
with China, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. On the
eve of the meeting, Commissioner Patten said: "Asia is always high on my
personal agenda, and our new Communication shows how much importance the
European Commission attaches to our relationship with the region. Europe
and Asia are not only major trading partners, but partners too in the fight
against terrorism and organised crime, and environmental degradation.
Europe is a major donor of development assistance to help tackle poverty in
the region. There are many areas where we could collaborate more: security,
human rights, regional integration and new technologies. I am looking
forward to discussing with Asian friends how to make sure our relationship
reaches its full potential".
[10] La Commission autorise l'acquisition du contrôle exclusif de la
société minière brésilienne Caemi par le producteur de minerai de fer CVRD ,
sous réserve du respect de certaines conditions
La Commission européenne a autorisé le projet d'acquisition, par CVRD, du
contrôle exclusif de Caemi, actuellement contrôlée conjointement par le
négociant japonais en minerai de fer Mitsui et CVRD. Ce contrôle conjoint
avait été pris à la suite d'une opération autorisée par la Commission
enoctobre 2001, assortie de conditions. La Commission est parvenue à la
conclusion que le passage du contrôle conjoint au contrôle exclusif qui
résultera de la présente opération ne posera pas de nouveaux problèmes de
concurrence. C'est CVRD qui sera responsable du respect des conditions en
question.
[11] Commission tells all 15 Member States to secure compliance with EU
laws on air pollution
The European Commission has taken legal action to ensure compliance with EU
legislation aimed at improving air quality in Europe. It is pursuing 42
infringement proceedings against the 15 Member States. The 42 proceedings
relate to 8 separate EU laws on air quality, each of which is aimed at
preventing or reducing the harmful effects of air pollution on public
health and the environment. Primarily, the proceedings relate to the
failure of Member States to adopt, by the agreed deadlines, national
measures implementing these EU laws (31 infringement cases). The
legislation that has not been implemented in time concerns the incineration
of waste, air quality limit values for benzene and carbon monoxide,
national emission ceilings for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile
organic compounds and ammonia and large combustion plants. The Commission
has also taken legal action to ensure compliance with the reporting
requirements imposed by EU air pollution legislation. 10 of the proceedings
relate to this type of case. In a separate case against Spain, the
Commission has sent a first written warning to request Spain to comply with
a Court ruling from 1998 concerning pollution from a municipal incinerator
in the Canary Islands.
[12] Environmental Impact Assessment Directive: Commission pursues legal
action against eight Member States
The European Commission is pursuing infringement procedures against the
United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Belgium and
Luxembourg to ensure better compliance with an EU law which requires that
prior environmental impact assessments be carried out for certain projects.
The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive aims to safeguard the
environment by requiring that the environmental effects of projects be
studied before they are approved, and by requiring that prior public
consultation take place. By taking this action, the Commission is
demonstrating its determination to ensure that the environmental safeguards
the Directive offers are fully realised.
[13] Council and Parliament prohibit antibiotics as growth promoters:
Commissioner Byrne welcomes adoption of Regulation on feed additives
David Byrne, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, has
welcomed the final adoption, at the Agriculture Council today, of an EU
Regulation controlling the use of additives in animal feed. The new
Regulation will strengthen the control of all types of additives in animal
feed, but in particular it completes the EU´s drive to phase out
antibiotics as growth promoters. Strengthening rules on the safety of
animal feed is one of the cornerstones of the EU's food safety strategy.
Banning the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in feed is also vital to
efforts to combat anti-microbial resistance. The Regulation will come into
force later this year, once it has been published in the EU's Official
Journal.
[14] La Commission récupère 115,25 millions d'euros indûment dépensés par
les États membres au titre de la politique agricole
En vertu d'une décision prise par la Commission européenne, un montant
total de 115,25 millions d'euros, correspondant à des dépenses irrégulières
de certains États membres au titre de la PAC, sera récupéré. Le
recouvrement de cette somme est motivé par des procédures de contrôle
inadéquates ou par le non-respect des règles communautaires sur les
dépenses agricoles. Les États membres sont chargés du versement et de la
vérification de la quasi-totalité des dépenses effectuées au titre de la
politique agricole commune (PAC). La tâche de la Commission consiste à
s'assurer que les États membres ont correctement utilisé les ressources.
[15] Commission clears acquisition of Chubb by United Technologies
The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation
to the acquisition of full control of the British undertaking Chubb plc,
active in the fire protection and security products and services, by the US
industrial equipment company United Technologies Corporation . (The
operation, notified on 20 June 2003, was examined under the simplified
merger review procedure)
[16] Accession of Saudi Arabia to the WTO - substantial progress on
bilateral negotiations with the EU
A session of bilateral negotiations for the accession of Saudi Arabia to
the WTO took place in Brussels from 16 to 18 July. The session started with
a meeting between the Saudi Minister for Commerce and Industry, Dr. Hashim
Abdullah Yamani, and EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and it was followed
by a two-day meeting at technical level. The meetings, which took place in
a positive and constructive atmosphere, allowed for important progress, and
open up the perspective of concluding the bilateral negotiations for Saudi
Arabia's accession to the WTO in the near future. EU Trade Commissioner
Pascal Lamy noted: "Saudi Arabia has made important efforts to overcome
past difficulties in these talks and the result is real progress on many
fronts. While a good amount of work is still ahead of us, above all in
terms of verification of legislation and drafting of commitments, and
clarification of some outstanding bilateral issues, I am very pleased at
the work done by Minister Yamani and his team. We now intend to build on
the momentum created by these meetings and hold further negotiations in the
forthcoming weeks. After many years, the way ahead seems clear for Saudi
Arabia's early accession to the WTO."
[17] Trade and Labour: European Commission welcomes Council conclusions on
promoting core labour standards
The Council adopted today a set of conclusions supporting the Commission's
stance on mainstream core labour standards in the EU's trade policy. The
text also suggests focusing future action on a number of priorities,
including promoting a better dialogue between the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). EU Trade
Commissioner Pascal Lamy said : «Today's move clearly shows the EU's
commitment to better integration of labour standards in our trade policy at
all levels: in our bilateral trade relations, our autonomous policies and
on the multilateral level". In today's world, we cannot neglect the social
dimension». EU Commissioner for Social Affairs Anna Diamantopoulou
added:"This initiative will kick-start the EU's efforts to find a 'new
diplomacy' based on increasing trade and promoting core labour standards
with all our partner countries. A key vector of this policy must be an
empowered International Labour Organisation."
[18] EU-WTO: Pascal Lamy welcomes Council conclusions on the Road to Cancun
EU Member States have adopted a set of conclusions setting out the EU's
views on the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun in September
2003, a half-way point in the negotiations under the Doha Development
Agenda. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy welcomed this move: «With today's
conclusions and the resolution recently adopted by the European Parliament,
it's now full speed ahead for Cancun. The challenge ahead is clear and
shared by all current and ten new Member States: make sure that more trade
opening and rules work to the benefit of all, and in particular developing
countries."
[19] European Commission lifts systematic control of Indonesian shrimp
imports
A Commission Decision (2001/705/EC) providing for the 100% testing of
certain Indonesian fishery and aquaculture imports was repealed today. The
decision to introduce systematic testing was taken in 2001, following
findings of the banned substance Chloramphenicol in Indonesian shrimps.
Corrective measures have since been put in place by the Indonesian
authorities. These measures have succeeded in addressing the problem. This
has been confirmed by the tests in place in the Member States, which have
proven consistently negative for several months. Accordingly, it was
considered that 100% testing is no longer necessary and the authorities can
instead concentrate resources on other more important priorities. To ensure
high standards, regular testing of Indonesian fishery products will
continue to be carried out according to the methods normally applied to all
imports into the EU. Safeguard measures to require 100% testing are only
implemented when a serious problem has been identified. The Commission
repealed Decision 2001/705 in agreement with the Standing Committee for the
Food Chain and Animal Health, made up of Member State representatives. The
decision to end the systematic testing of Indonesian shrimp shall apply
from the third day after its publication in the Official Journal.
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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