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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-11-22
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission clears acquisition of Borealis Polimeros by Repsol
[02] Commission clears acquisition of Skanska Facilities Management AB by
3i Group plc
[03] Commission clears joint control of BGZ by Rabobank and Polish State
Treasury
[04] Commission approves planned acquisition of Roche Consumer Health by
Bayer subject to conditions
[05] September 2004 : euro-zone external trade surplus €3.1 billion ;
€7.6 billion deficit for EU25
[06] Commission to send EU Election Observation Mission to Palestinian
Elections
[07] Sharm el Sheikh : the EU offers Iraq support and partnership
[08] Peter Mandelson begins his mandate as Trade Commissioner with visit to
WTO in Geneva
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2004-11-22
Reference: MEX/04/1122
Date: 22/11/2004
EXME04 / 22.11
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Général Presse etb
Communication
22/11/04
[01] Commission clears acquisition of Borealis Polimeros by Repsol
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of the Portuguese company
Borealis Polimeros, a subsidiary of Danish company Borealis A/S, by Repsol
Quimica S.A., belonging to the Repsol YPF group, based in Spain. Repsol YPF
group is an integrated oil and gas international group engaged in all
aspects of the petroleum business. Borealis Polimeros owns a catalytic
cracker in Sines, Portugal, as well as a low density polyethylene plant and
a high-density polyethylene plant in the same location. The operation was
examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[02] Commission clears acquisition of Skanska Facilities Management AB by
3i Group plc
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Skanska FM of Sweden by 3i
of the UK. 3i is an international venture capital company that provides
management advice to and manages investments on behalf of investment funds,
active in various sectors of industry and services (communication,
engineering, food, healthcare, IT services, leisure, media, oil and gas,
software and internet, support services and transport and logistics).
Skansa FM is a company providing facilities management services to the
public and private sectors and it is active in five countries : Sweden,
Denmark, Finland, Norway and Belgium. The operation was examined under the
simplified merger review procedure.
[03] Commission clears joint control of BGZ by Rabobank and Polish State
Treasury
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to a proposed concentration by which Rabobank International
Holding BV and the State Treasury of Poland acquire joint control over
Polish-based Bank Gospodarki Żywno[ciowej S.A. ("BGZ"). Rabobank is a
company belonging to the Rabobank Group. The Rabobank Group is a Dutch
cooperative bank and credit institution, active in the financial services
sector. Its core activities are financial, insurance, and asset management.
More specifically, it is active in retail and corporate banking, financial
services and the provision of mortgages. BGZ is a Polish commercial bank
active only in Poland, mainly in small towns and villages in the
countryside specialising in the financing of agriculture, regional
infrastructure, small and medium enterprises and individuals. The operation
was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[04] Commission approves planned acquisition of Roche Consumer Health by
Bayer subject to conditions
The European Commission has authorised, under the Merger Regulation, the
proposed acquisition of the worldwide Roche non-prescription
pharmaceuticals business by Bayer in a deal which creates the largest
European OTC consumer health company. Bayer's and Roche's product
portfolios are largely complementary and overlap significantly only in a
small number of product markets, particularly non-narcotic analgesics (such
as Aspirin) and certain antifungal treatments. The clearance is subject to
a number of conditions intended to safeguard competition and hence the
interests of European consumers on a few markets where the transaction
raised competition concerns. The conditions consist in the sale or licence
of three pharmaceutical products.
[05] September 2004 : euro-zone external trade surplus €3.1 billion ;
€7.6 billion deficit for EU25
According to Eurostat, the first estimate for euro-zone trade with the rest
of the world in September 2004 was a €3.1 billion surplus, compared with
+8.6 billion in September 2003. The August 2004 balance was +3.0 billion,
compared with +7.1Â billion in August 2003. In September 2004, exports,
seasonally adjusted, remained nearly stable (+0.1%) compared to August 2004,
while imports fell by 1.8%. The first estimate for September 2004 extra-
EU25 trade was a €7.6 billion deficit, compared with -3.9 billion in
September 2003. In August 20042 the balance was -7.5 billion, compared with
-2.7 billion in August 2003. In September 2004, exports, seasonally
adjusted, remained nearly stable (-0.2%) compared to August 2004, while
imports fell by 1.3%.
[06] Commission to send EU Election Observation Mission to Palestinian
Elections
As one of the first acts of the European Commission, the Commissioner for
External Relations and the European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-
Waldner has decided to deploy an EU Election Observer Mission (EOM) to
observe the Presidential Elections in the West Bank and Gaza scheduled for
9th January 2005. The decision is a concrete expression of the EU's effort
to support the development of democratic institutions and stability in the
Palestinian Territories. The presence of the EOM and the reporting of its
observers will help to increase transparency and build confidence in the
election process.
[07] Sharm el Sheikh : the EU offers Iraq support and partnership
At the Sharm el Sheikh international conference on Iraq (22nd and 23rd
November), the EU will be reaffirming its support for Iraq's transition to
a stable, democratic future, and holding out the prospect of a deepening
partnership. The European Commission will be represented at the Conference
by Commissioner for External Relations and the European Neighbourhood
Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner. The EU will also be represented by High
Representative Javier Solana, Foreign Minister Bernard Bot of the current
Dutch Presidency, and the foreign ministers of numerous Member States. The
Commission's key objectives for the Conference are to underline the
importance of inclusive and participatory elections in January, and to
express readiness to support Iraq and its neighbours in developing a closer
cooperation between themselves, if they so wish.
[08] Peter Mandelson begins his mandate as Trade Commissioner with visit to
WTO in Geneva
New European Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson will start his mandate
today with meetings at the Geneva Headquarters of the World Trade
Organisation (WTO). In meetings tonight and tomorrow Mr Mandelson will meet
with WTO Director General Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi and his deputies,
chairpersons of negotiating groups and a number of ambassadors to the WTO.
He will also meet with agency heads for International Labour Organisation
(ILO), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Mr Mandelson chose to make the WTO his
first destination as Trade Commissioner in recognition of the central role
of the multilateral trading system, and the importance of making rapid
progress on the Doha Development Agenda. Mr Mandelson said : "A successful
Doha Round is my top priority. I have a strong commitment to Trade and
Development policies point hand in hand. I would be happy if my period as
Trade Comissioner came to be remembered for that. But we have much hard
work ahead."
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by JoaquÃn Almunia : "EMU: past experience and prospects" at HEC
Conference (Paris, ! embargo 5.30 pm !)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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