|
|
|
European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-08-29
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] EU brings WTO challenge against Australia's quarantine measures
[02] World Deafness Day: European funding brings major research results on
deafness
[03] European Cinema: 300 partners already for the second CINEDAYS festival
2003
[04] Autre matériel diffusé:
[05] Estimation rapide - Août 2003; l'inflation de la zone euro estimée à 2,
1%
Midday Express 29/08/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 29/08/2003
[01] EU brings WTO challenge against Australia's quarantine measures
The European Union has today asked the WTO to rule on the legality of the
Australian quarantine regime applied to imports of a large number of food
products of EU interest. Consultations between Australia and the EU, held
in May 2003, failed to solve problems of access to the Australian market.
The EU has therefore been left with no alternative other than to challenge
this restrictive trade practices through the WTO dispute settlement system.
EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said: “Despite Australia's constant
claims to be the leading force of free agricultural trade, its own
quarantine system continues to block unjustifiably the import of a number
of agricultural products into Australia. Contrary to WTO rules, these
import prohibitions are not based on a scientific risk assessment. The EU
will continue to use WTO procedures to ensure that Australia lives up to
its legal obligations, and to its own rhetoric on open trade in
agriculture.”
[02] World Deafness Day: European funding brings major research results on
deafness
Ahead of World Deafness Day on 1 September, the European Commission today
underlined its commitment to funding research into this global problem.
Deafness is a real and often underestimated health problem in Europe: 6% of
the European population suffer from hearing impairment. It is now known
that over 50% of all hearing impairments is caused by genetic factors. The
European Commission has channelled more than €10 million into research on
different aspects of deafness over the last 7 years. One particular project
receiving support from the European Commission identified several genes
which when affected lead to inherited deafness in humans. These discoveries
increase significantly our understanding of the hearing process and open
avenues for new therapies for deafness. Deafness also entails trouble in
accessing information, communications and education. Through its VOICE
project, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) is
developing awareness of voice-to-text (VTT) technology among users, systems
producers and suppliers. The objective is to provide cost-effective help
for citizens with hearing difficulties to expand their communication
abilities, adapt to the surrounding environment and improve their quality
of life.
[03] European Cinema: 300 partners already for the second CINEDAYS festival
2003
( ! Embargo : 15h00 !)At a press conference in Venice, where the 60th
Venice Film Festival is taking place, the European Commissioner for Culture
and Audiovisual Media, Viviane Reding, presented today the preliminary
programme for the second CINEDAYS festival, which will take place from 10
to 24 October 2003. In 2002, this European film festival mobilised almost
50 television channels, hundreds of cinemas and film archives and allowed
100 000 young people to attend screenings of both modern and vintage
European films or to work at school on the theme of education in the visual
image. The official opening will take place in Brussels on 9 October, and
the Italian Presidency will be organising the closing ceremony on 24
October in Rome.
[04] Autre matériel diffusé:
[05] Estimation rapide - Août 2003; l'inflation de la zone euro estimée à 2,
1%
Selon une estimation rapide publiée aujourd'hui par Eurostat, l'Office
statistique des Communautés européennes à Luxembourg, le taux d'inflation
annuel de la zone euro s'établirait à 2,1% en août 2003. En juillet 2003,
le taux était de 1,9%.
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
|
