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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-06-21Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>CONTENTS / CONTENU
MIDDAY EXPRESSNews from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefingNouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Général Presse etbCommunication21/06/04[01] L'UE signe la Convention du Conseil de l'Europe sur le transport international des animauxSuite à une proposition de la Commission européenne, le Conseil a adopté ce jour une décision pour que l'Union européenne signe la Convention européenne révisée pour la protection des animaux pendant le transport international. Cette Convention internationale augmentera les obligations en matière de protection des animaux transportés en Europe. Elle révise la Convention adoptée en 1968 et introduit des améliorations importantes pour le bien-être des animaux, qui sont conformes à la proposition récente de la Commission relative au transport des animaux (voir IP/03/1023) et à la législation communautaire existante.[02] EU-Japan Summit : further steps towards a reinforced partnershipPresident Romano Prodi will represent the European Commission at the 13th Summit between the European Union and Japan which will take place in Tokyo on 22 June 2004. The meeting will be hosted by Mr Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan whilst the Irish Prime Minister and President of the European Council, Bertie Ahern, will head the EU delegation. Discussions will centre on a range of key international issues such as cooperation on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against terrorism, and the current situations in the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula. Discussions are also expected to focus on EU-Japan relations, including implementation of the EU-Japan Action Plan agreed in 2001. Trade and economic cooperation will also figure high on the agenda, particularly promoting two-way investment, on which a new cooperation framework will be adopted, and on the environment. Pascal Lamy, Commissioner for Trade will attend the Summit.[03] EU-US Summit : revitalising the Transatlantic PartnershipThe President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, together with the President-in-office of the European Council, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, will meet US President George W. Bush on 26 June at the EU-US Summit in Dromoland Castle, County Clare, Ireland. In the run up to the summit, President Prodi declared : "I am confident that this Summit will be an opportunity to revitalise our partnership with the US. This partnership is indispensable not only for the transatlantic community but for the world at large. A reunited Europe will help revitalise the EU-US relationship."[04] Commission clears purchase of vending machines operator Autobar by CharterhouseThe European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation to the acquisition of full control of Autobar Group Limited of the UK and Autobar Group B.V of the Netherlands by UK equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners VII, controlled by Charterhouse Capital Limited. Autobar is a pan- European company active in the markets concerning the beverages and snacks vending machines. (The operation, notified on 17 May 2004, was examined under the simplified merger review procedure).[05] Propriété industrielle : l'UE adhère au traité concernant l'enregistrement international des marquesLa Communauté européenne soumet aujourd'hui à l'Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI) à Genève son instrument d'adhésion au Protocole de Madrid concernant l'enregistrement international des marques. C'est la première fois que la CE en tant que telle adhère à un traité de l'OMPI. Ce lien permettra aux entreprises de bénéficier des avantages de la marque communautaire via le système du Protocole de Madrid et vice-versa, ce qui simplifiera les procédures, réduira les coûts de protection internationale et facilitera l'administration.[06] How to organise a product recall : EU funded project helps businesses and protects consumersHow should a company with a dozen different distributors in a dozen different EU countries go about organising a product recall ? What systems can it put in place to prevent defective or dangerous products being distributed in the first place ? These are some of the issues addressed in a new guide due to be published this week which is the result of a unique collaboration between business, consumer organisations and government authorities. The guide, entitled "Product Safety in Europe: a guide to corrective action including recalls", was developed with the aid of a grant from the European Commission's consumer policy programme. It is due to be launched on Thursday 24 June at 10h30 at a press conference in the International Press Centre in Brussels at which Robert Madelin, Director- General for Health and Consumer Protection in the European Commission and representatives of the European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC), the retail association EuroCommerce, the product safety enforcement authorities' forum PROSAFE, and the European Employers' Confederation (UNICE) will speak. David Byrne, Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner said : "This guide offers good, practical advice on how businesses can protect their customers and meet their legal obligations on product safety. It is an excellent example of how EU consumer protection policy is about more than just producing rules. Its also about working with stakeholders and national authorities on the practicalities of improving safety." The guide will eventually be produced in 19 European languages. An English version of it and will be published by the Commission on its Consumer Affairs website on Thursday 24 June as well as being distributed by the project partners at their press conference. For information about the 24 June press conference please contact Glenn Bosmans at Intertek Research & Testing Centre (tel: +44.1908.857726 glenn.bosmans@intertek-rtc.com), Patrice Pellegrino at Eurocommerce (tel: 02.737.0585 decroos@eurocommerce.be), Jan van Leent at PROSAFE (tel: +31.070.448.4823 Jan.van.Leent@vwa.nl) or Carlos Almaraz at UNICE (tel: 02.237.6557 c.almaraz@unice.be).For further information about the EU's product safety policies see : <a href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/cons_safe/index_en.htm">http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/cons_safe/index_en.htm [07] Autre matériel diffuséSpeech by David Byrne : "Media Freedom versus Consumer Protection – how they can be reconciled" to the Association of German Newspaper Publisher's (Cologne, ! embargo 13h30 !)Speech by Poul Nielson : "Putting People First: Implementing the ICPD Agenda and Achieving the Millenium development Goals" at UNFPA Special Event Panel Discussion (Geneva, ! embargo 16h00 !) Speech by Stavros Dimas : "Human capital, the lifeblood of our economy" at Investment in Human Resources Conference (Dublin) Speech by Viviane Reding : "The role of Publishers in Europe" at the opening session of the 'Congrès de l'Union Internationale des Editeurs' (Berlin) Discours de Mme de Palacio dans le cadre des 3èmes rencontres
parlementaires sur l'énergie nucléaire (Paris, ! embargo 17h00 !)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/ Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |