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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-01-14

Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] La Commission définit une stratégie de coordination et de surveillance des politiques économiques
  • [02] Services : Commission proposes Directive to cut red tape that stifles Europe's competitiveness
  • [II] Other news - Autres nouvelles

  • [03] President Prodi to praise changes in Turkey and call for continuation and implementation of reforms
  • [04] Poul Nielson to meet President of Burundi (15/01)
  • [05] Enlargement and agriculture : €5.76 billion for rural development in new Member States
  • [06] Nature : la Commission prend des mesures pour protéger les espèces animales et végétales menacées des régions montagneuses de l'UE
  • [07] Marchés publics : la Commission demande à la Belgique des procédures efficaces de recours pour les soumissionnaires non retenus
  • [08] Eurobarometer poll on fraud and fight against fraud
  • [09] Report on dairy and meat consumption trends and the use of feed in the Accession and Candidate Countries
  • [10] Commission hosts inaugural event to celebrate the launch of the world's first all IPv6 research network
  • [11] Autre matériel diffusé Midday Express 14/01/2004 TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 14/01/2004[I] Résultats de la Commission du 13 janvier 2004 - Outcome of Commission meeting of 13 January

  • [01] La Commission définit une stratégie de coordination et de surveillance des politiques économiques

    La Commission européenne a adopté une stratégie en trois volets en vue de préciser et d'améliorer la coordination et la surveillance des politiques économiques à la suite des conclusions du Conseil Ecofin du 25 novembre 2003. Au titre du premier volet de cette stratégie, la Commission continuera à exercer la surveillance des politiques économiques et budgétaires de tous les Etats membres dans le cadre du traité et du pacte de stabilité et de croissance (PSC). Elle continuera également à suivre l'évolution des pays en situation de déficit excessif. Au titre du deuxième volet, la Commission, se fondant sur l'expérience acquise au cours des cinq premières années d'existence de l'UEM, soumettra de nouvelles propositions pour renforcer la gouvernance économique à l'avenir. L'amélioration de la mise en œuvre du pacte de stabilité et de croissance fera partie de cette initiative. Enfin, conformément à son rôle de gardienne des traités, la Commission s'efforcera de garantir la clarté et la prévisibilité juridiques des dispositions du traité relatives à l'UEM. Les conclusions du Conseil Ecofin du 25 novembre ont des incidences politiques qui touchent au cœur même du processus d'intégration de l'Europe. Le Conseil a adopté des conclusions non contraignantes au lieu de prendre une décision avec des effets juridiques précis. La Commission a donc décidé de contester les conclusions du Conseil devant la Cour de justice des Communautés européennes. Cependant, cette action se focalisera sur les éléments de procédure uniquement et ne portera pas sur les aspects des conclusions du Conseil liés à surveillance économique propre à chaque pays.

    [02] Services : Commission proposes Directive to cut red tape that stifles Europe's competitiveness

    The European Commission has presented a proposal for a Directive to create a real Internal Market in services by requiring Member States to cut administrative burdens and excessive red tape that can currently prevent businesses from offering their services across borders or from opening premises in other Member States. The services covered by the proposal account for around 50% of all economic activity in the EU. Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who represent the bulk of service providers, are at the moment dissuaded from cross-border expansion. By encouraging cross-border economic activity and boosting competition, the proposed Directive would increase choice, improve quality and bring down prices for consumers and also for businesses which use services. It would also encourage innovation in the sector which at EU level creates the most jobs. The effect on the economy as a whole would be to improve competitiveness and create high quality jobs. Once adopted, the proposed Directive would resolve many of the difficulties identified by businesses and other stakeholders in a Commission report published in July 2002 (see IP/02/1180). The proposal will now go forward for adoption by the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers.

    [II] Other news - Autres nouvelles

    [03] President Prodi to praise changes in Turkey and call for continuation and implementation of reforms

    During the first visit of a European Commission President in Turkey for the past 40 years, Romano Prodi will repeat the strong wish of the European Union to welcome Turkey as an equal and respected member. He will praise the changes undertaken by the Turkish government to meet the EU accession criteria and will call for the continuation and implementation of these reforms. Mr Prodi will also stress the strong preference of the EU for the accession of a united Cyprus to the EU on the 1st of May, following a settlement based on the UN peace plan, and insist on the benefits of such an outcome for Turkey.

    [04] Poul Nielson to meet President of Burundi (15/01)

    Thursday morning 15.1.04 European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Poul Nielson will meet President Ndayizeye of Burundi. The meeting will be an occasion to review current promising progress in the Burundian peace process. This will also be an opportunity for Mr Nielson to reaffirm the EC's continued strong support for the peace process. Commissioner Nielson and President Ndayizeye will sign the recent decision of the EU on a €25 million grant from the European Development Fund to support current peace keeping operations in Burundi under the authority of the African Union (AU). Finally Commissioner Nielson and President Ndayizeye will review current EC development cooperation. €172 million have been available to Burundi under the 9th European Development Fund. The meeting will take place from 9.00-9.45 at Rue de Genève 12. It will be followed by a VIP corner.

    [05] Enlargement and agriculture : €5.76 billion for rural development in new Member States

    The European Commission has decided to fix EU funding for the rural development for the new Member States at €5.76 billion in current prices for 2004-2006. The allocations for each new Member State are based on the amounts contained in the declaration included in the Act of Accession. They have now been converted from 1999 prices to current prices. During the accession negotiations it was agreed to allocate an envelope of €5.11 billion (at 1999 prices) out of the EU agricultural budget (EAGGF Guarantee Section) to finance rural development measures for the ten new Member States for the period 2004-2006.

    [06] Nature : la Commission prend des mesures pour protéger les espèces animales et végétales menacées des régions montagneuses de l'UE

    La Commission européenne a approuvé une liste de 959 sites naturels de régions montagneuses de l'Union européenne. Cette décision implique une protection renforcée de ces régions et des nombreuses espèces animales et végétales menacées qu'elles abritent. La liste de la Commission comprend des sites situés dans les Alpes, dans les Pyrénées, dans les Apennins et dans les montagnes de Fennoscandie. Elle concerne des espèces animales et végétales et des habitats menacés tels que l'ours brun, le sabot de la vierge les prairies de fauche de montagne. La protection de ces espèces est d'un grand intérêt scientifique pour l'Europe, et un effort concerté de l'UE est donc nécessaire pour garantir la diversité biologique et la conservation de la faune et de la flore naturelles dans ces régions montagneuses d'Europe. Il s'agit également d'une étape importante pour la mise en place du réseau Natura 2000 de sites protégés de l'UE.

    [07] Marchés publics : la Commission demande à la Belgique des procédures efficaces de recours pour les soumissionnaires non retenus

    La Commission européenne a décidé de demander formellement à la Belgique de mettre en place des procédures qui permettraient aux soumissionnaires non retenus pour l'attribution de marchés publics de contester les décisions des pouvoirs adjudicateurs, avant qu'il ne soit trop tard pour changer ces décisions. La demande se présente sous la forme d'avis motivé, la deuxième étape de la procédure d'infraction prévue à l'article 226 du Traité. En l'absence d'une réponse satisfaisante dans un délai de deux mois, la Commission pourrait décider de traduire la Belgique devant la Cour de Justice.

    [08] Eurobarometer poll on fraud and fight against fraud

    This survey analyses public awareness of fraud in general and fraud against the EU and its budget in the 15 Member States (EU-15) and 13 accession and candidate countries (CC-13). The results show that respondents are particularly concerned about corruption (55% in the EU-15 and 69% in the CC- 13), fraud relating to quality of food and agricultural products (46% in the EU-15 and 57% in the CC-13) and commercial fraud (39% in the EU-15 and 58% in the CC-13). Citizens are more preoccupied by wrongdoing in national/local governments and institutions (36% in the EU-15), than about wrongdoing in EU institutions. As concerns fraud against the EU, more than half the respondents disagree with the statement that fraud against the EU and its budget happens very rarely. There is a very wide consensus that defrauding the EU and its budget is harmful both for the vast majority of citizens who are honest and for the national economy. EU citizens trust the police force to fight against fraud, while citizens from accession and candidate countries look more to the EU itself. Both groups agree that fighting fraud should be a political priority and the EU has a role to play. However, a majority of citizens feels fairly badly informed about the fight against fraud against the EU and its budget.

    [09] Report on dairy and meat consumption trends and the use of feed in the Accession and Candidate Countries

    The European Commission has published the external assessment report "Consumption trends for dairy and livestock products and the use of feeds in production in the CEE Accession and Candidate Countries" prepared by the Network of Independent Experts and the Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO). The report identifies the determining factors of food consumption and feed use within the extended EU food markets and provides a lot of country and market specific information. Consumption and feed use trends are the major driving factors of future developments on agricultural markets, which will be reinforced by the CAP Reform. The report first provides an assessment of meat and dairy consumption in the nineties, which concludes that it generally faced a sharp decline during the early nineties in most accession countries. The structure of meat consumption changed significantly : beef and mutton consumption declined sharply while those of pork and especially for poultry have developed very positively. The markets for fresh dairy products and cheese have grown significantly as well alongside those for fruits and vegetables. These trends will further strengthen due to the continuous high increase of income, which has been on average double the rate as in the present Member States. The report concludes with an analysis of feed use. The report can be found on the internet at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/publi/reports/ccconsumption/index_en.htm

    [10] Commission hosts inaugural event to celebrate the launch of the world's first all IPv6 research network

    The European Union has been instrumental in giving political and financial support to the rapid take up of the new Internet Protocol IPv6. This next generation of Internet technology will support the better integration of new Internet services into homes, businesses and even vehicles. The European Commission has fostered cooperation between the Research and Education Networks around the world to establish the world's first all IPv6 research network. The global IPv6 service for the research community will be launched at the inaugural "Global IPv6 Service Launch" event, hosted by the Commission, on January 15-16, 2004 in Brussels in celebration of this achievement.

    [11] Autre matériel diffusé

    Discours de M. Prodi : "Imaginer le futur" à l'inauguration de la Présidence irlandaise (PE, Strasbourg)

    Discours de Mme de Palacio : "Le réseau transeuropéen de transport, une condition indispensable du marché intérieur" à la Banque Européenne d'Investissement (Luxembourg)

    Note on informal meeting of Employment Ministers (15-16, Galway)

    Commission proposal for a Directive on services : frequently asked questions


    From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
    © ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996


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