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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-11-25
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] King Abdullah of Jordan visits Commission
[02] Customs : Commission welcomes Council agreement on new controls on
drugs precursors
[03] €2.6 million to respond to strong demand for the EU-US and EU-Canada
cooperation programmes in higher education and vocational training
[04] EU-Australia and EU-New Zealand education cooperation intensified
through two pilot projects
[05] Official visit of Danuta Hübner to Finland
[06] Olli Rehn to visit Zagreb and Skopje
[07] Louis Michel starts mandate by visiting Sudan and Kenya
[08] China : conference highlights progress on EU exports
[09] Commission report highlights changing competition from China
[10] Commission welcomes conservation measures by International Commission
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT)
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2004-11-25
Reference: MEX/04/1125
Date: 25/11/2004
EXME04 / 25.11
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
25/11/04
[01] King Abdullah of Jordan visits Commission
The King of Jordan, Abdullah II bin al Hussein, will meet the European
Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, Commissioner for External
Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero Waldner, and
Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson on Thursday 25 November at 17h30 in
Brussels. The Commission and King Abdullah will discuss bilateral and
regional matters including the enhancement of EU-Jordan relations through
the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy, political reform
in the Arab World, Iraq and the situation in the Middle East. The meeting
will underline the excellent level of EU-Jordan relations. During the visit
a financing agreement providing €30 million of EU support to poverty
reduction and local development in Jordan will be signed. After the meeting,
a VIP corner (in English) will take place in Berlaymont at around 18h20.
[02] Customs : Commission welcomes Council agreement on new controls on
drugs precursors
The European Commission has welcomed the political agreement reached by the
Council of Ministers on a proposal for a Regulation to strengthen controls
on the import of the chemicals that are used to manufacture illicit
narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, in particular ecstasy. The
Regulation would introduce EU-wide procedures for individual import
authorisations to allow the monitoring of consignments imported into the
European Union. The existing legislation in this area must be modernised
because in recent years the Community has become one of the world's leading
ecstasy manufacturers and exporters, using imported drug precursors. One
litre of some of these key drug precursor chemicals can produce drugs with
a street value of more than €600,000.
[03] €2.6 million to respond to strong demand for the EU-US and EU-Canada
cooperation programmes in higher education and vocational training
The European Commission has selected 19 new projects, involving
117Â institutions, to participate in the 9th edition of the EU/US and
EU/Canada cooperation programmes in higher education and vocational
education and training. These projects are funded jointly by the European
Community and authorities in the United States and Canada for a total of
three years. The objective is to set up institutional cooperation at
graduate and post-graduate level, focussing on international curriculum
development and student mobility.
[04] EU-Australia and EU-New Zealand education cooperation intensified
through two pilot projects
Two pilot projects, which have started this autumn, will serve to enhance
education cooperation between the EU and Australia and the EU and New
Zealand. European students will have the opportunity to study high-level
Interaction Design in New Zealand and cultural and natural heritage
management in Australia thanks to these pilot projects selected in the new
and intensified higher education exchange programmes.
[05] Official visit of Danuta Hübner to Finland
European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Ms Danuta Hübner, will pay an
official visit to Finland from 25-26 november 2004. During her mission in
Helsinki, the Commissioner will meet Prime Minister, Mr Matti Vanhanen, the
Foreign Affairs minister Mr Erkki Tuomioja, and the Regional and Municipal
Affairs minister, Mr Hannes Manninen. She will also have a meeting with the
Grand Committee of the Finnish Parliament. Main topics of her meetings will
be an exchange of views on the future of the regional policy as well as the
Finnish position on Commission proposals for the next financial
perspectives in the area of regional policy.
[06] Olli Rehn to visit Zagreb and Skopje
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn, will visit Croatia and
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 25 and 26 November. On his
first visit in his new capacity the Commissioner aims to establish as
quickly as possible personal contact with the political leadership of these
countries. Further visits to the region will follow in the coming weeks and
months. He will bring the message of a clear European perspective for the
countries of the Western Balkans, and will emphasis the importance of
regional cooperation.
[07] Louis Michel starts mandate by visiting Sudan and Kenya
The newly appointed European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian
Aid, Louis Michel, will begin his mandate with an official visit to Sudan
and Kenya from 26-29 November. The purpose of the mission is to meet some
of the key players in the Sudanese Peace Process as well as European Union
humanitarian partners and visit some EU funded projects in the field.
[08] China : conference highlights progress on EU exports
A conference dedicated to certification practice in China was held on 24Â
November in Brussels within the framework of the third plenary meeting of
the EU-China Consultation Mechanism on Industrial products and WTO/TBT. The
conference took stock of the practical application and implementation of
the new Chinese certification system, reformed in August 2003 subsequent to
the country's entry into the WTO, and recognised that the reform has made
the import of EU products by China significantly easier. It also examined
specific elements of the system applicable to electro-mechanical products,
automotive products and medical devices.
[09] Commission report highlights changing competition from China
The European Commission has published its 2004 European Competitiveness
Report. The European Competitiveness Report is an annual publication that
covers topical issues for Europe's competitiveness. The 2004 Report focuses
on three themes : China, the automotive industry, and the role of
government policies in influencing competitiveness. The analysis of
government policies includes specific studies of research policy and of
efficiency concerns in healthcare provision.
[10] Commission welcomes conservation measures by International Commission
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT)
The European Commission has welcomed the conservation measures agreed at
the 2004 ICCAT Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans (USA) last week. A
number of these measures had been recommended by the European Union, in
particular those relating to blue-fin tuna. This stock, of crucial
importance to EU fisheries in the Mediterranean, is subject to a four- year
management plan (2002-2006) but the EU considered that complementary
measures were needed to reduce catches of under-sized fish and introduce
additional requirements in relation to tuna fattening sites. Thus, the
minimum landing size will go from 6.4 to 10 Kg in the Mediterranean and the
15% tolerance margin for landed undersized fish will be eliminated. A joint
EU/Japan proposal on a multi annual (2005-2008) management plan for the big
eye tropical tuna stock was also adopted. Regrettably there was no
agreement on a proposal to regulate transhipment of catch at sea to curb
illegal activities. Two other key measures – both EU proposals - were
adopted, first, on regulating recreational fisheries (based on the
Commission proposal for technical measures in the Mediterranean) and second,
on the regulation of shark fining. The Commission welcomed the high level
of co-operation with Japan and the US throughout, a factor which greatly
contributed to the success of the meeting.
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Mariann Fischer Boel : "Protecting our landscape – A
contribution from Rural Development" at 10th anniversary of the European
Environment Agency (! embargo 4.30 pm !)
Discours de Louis Michel : "Une révision de la politique de développement
s'impose pour en amplifier l'efficacité et les moyens" à l'Assemblée
parlementaire paritaire ACP/UE (24/11, La Haye)
Discours de M. Jacques Barrot : "La sécurité routière, une affaire de
tous. Nos sociétés ne peuvent plus tolérer l'intolérable" à la
Conférence ACEA - "Sharing the Road Safety"
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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