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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 05-05-25
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome
of today's Commission meeting
[01] Commission paves the way for renewal of EU Sustainable Development
Strategy
[02] La Commission parachève la stratégie visant à améliorer la qualité
et la gouvernance des statistiques européennes
[03] Emissions trading : Commission approves Italian allocation plan
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[04] 25 mai : une fleur bleue pour les enfants disparus
[05] Pollution maritime : des moyens accrus proposés par la Commission
[06] Commission meets with the European Ombudsman
[07] Lászlo Kovács meets US Secretary for Homeland Security, Michael
Chertoff
[08] Benita Ferrero-Waldner's visit to Libya
[09] EU Troika and Latin America ministers meet in Luxembourg (26-27/05)
[10] Commission clears acquisition of Corenso by Stora Enso
[11] La Commission se félicite de la décision du Conseil de fixer de
nouvelles cibles ambitieuses pour l'aide au développement (24/05)
[12] Commission and UNEP cooperate to address global environmental threats
(24/05)
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2005-05-25
Reference: MEX/05/0525
Date: 25/05/2005
EXME05 / 25.5
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
25/05/05
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome
of today's Commission meeting
[01] Commission paves the way for renewal of EU Sustainable Development
Strategy
The European Commission has adopted a draft Declaration on Guiding
Principles for Sustainable Development and an accompanying Commission
Communication which sets out the European Union's long standing commitment
to sustainable development as a key principle of all its policies and
actions. This initiative is a response to a request from the European
Council. In March this year, the European Council asked the Commission for
a proposal that could be adopted by the June 2005 European Council, to
serve as a basis for renewing the Sustainable Development Strategy adopted
in Gothenburg in 2001.
[02] La Commission parachève la stratégie visant à améliorer la qualité
et la gouvernance des statistiques européennes
La Commission européenne a adopté une communication au Parlement et au
Conseil en vue de renforcer l'indépendance, l'intégrité et la
responsabilité des autorités statistiques nationales et communautaires.
Cette communication encourage le recours à un code européen de bonnes
pratiques en matière statistique pour accroître la confiance dans les
autorités statistiques et améliorer la qualité des statistiques en
adoptant les principes et les méthodes statistiques les plus fiables au
niveau international. La Commission appliquera ces principes à Eurostat et
recommande aux Etats membres d'accorder leur soutien politique au code et
de veiller à son respect.
[03] Emissions trading : Commission approves Italian allocation plan
The European Commission has accepted Italy's plan for allocating CO²
emission allowances to Italian companies for the 2005-2007 trading period,
after the Italian authorities agreed to lower significantly the total
number of allocation by 23 million tonnes of CO² annually or 9%. Italy
will also have to notify further details of its allocations to specific
installations and to abandon a provision to make a so-called ex-post
adjustment to the plan. The Commission's decision clears the way for
Italian companies to participate in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme,
allowing for greenhouse gas emissions from Italy's power sector and from
energy-intensive industrial plants to be cut at least cost to the economy.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[04] 25 mai : une fleur bleue pour les enfants disparus
La Commission européenne s'associe ce 25 mai à la "Journée Internationale
des Enfants Disparus" Ã l'occasion de laquelle des manifestations ont
été organisées dans 14 pays européens : Allemagne, Belgique, Bulgarie,
Finlande, France, Grèce, Hongrie, Italie, Pays-Bas, Pologne, Portugal,
République Tchèque, Roumanie et Royaume-Uni. L'objectif principal de la
"Journée Internationale des Enfants Disparus" est d'encourager la
population à penser à tous les enfants portés disparus en Europe et dans
le monde, de répandre un message d'espoir et de solidarité au niveau
international auprès des parents qui sont sans nouvelles et ne savent ni
où se trouve leur enfant, ni ce qu'il est devenu.
[05] Pollution maritime : des moyens accrus proposés par la Commission
La Commission européenne vient de proposer une enveloppe financière de
154 millions d'€ pour une période de sept ans en faveur de l'Agence
européenne pour la sécurité maritime qui lui permettra de lutter contre
la pollution causée par les navires. Cet argent permettra à l'Agence de
mettre à disposition des Etats membres des navires spécialisés anti-
pollution pour récupérer des substances polluantes et de développer des
images satellitaires pour détecter à temps des pollutions. "Il est
indispensable de disposer d'un système européen de lutte contre la
pollution maritime pour protéger nos côtes", a déclaré Jacques Barrot,
Vice-Président en charge des transports. " L'Agence pour la sécurité
maritime a besoin de moyens financiers adéquats pour aider à combattre la
pollution des mers", a-t-il ajouté.
[06] Commission meets with the European Ombudsman
The Barroso Commission met today for the first time with the newly re-
appointed European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros. During this first
visit, the Commission and the Ombudsman took the opportunity to reaffirm
their excellent working relations, but also to look at ways forward to
further enhance their cooperation. The European Ombudsman has an essential
role in the bridge-building between citizens and the EU and the
strengthening of European democracy. Its actions contribute to enhancing
the Commission's interaction and communication with citizens. Several
achievements that are important to citizens are the result of the
Commissions cooperation with the European Ombudsman, such as the abolition
of age limits for trainees. Margot Wallstrom, Vice-president of the
Commission said : "This is the true merit of our cooperation and an
illustration of the essential role of the European Ombudsman in
contributing to ameliorate the quality and the efficiency of the EU
institutions' administration." The Commission intends to look at different
ways of further promoting its cooperation with and commitment to the
European Ombudsman.
[07] Lászlo Kovács meets US Secretary for Homeland Security, Michael
Chertoff
This morning European Taxation and Customs Commissioner Lászlo Kovács met
the United States Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Michael
Chertoff, for the first time since Mr Chertoff's appointment two months
ago. They took the opportunity to review the recent progress in EU-US
customs cooperation and ways of improving this cooperation further. They
discussed the EU's efforts to strengthen security in the customs field, as
well as European activities related to the Container Security Initiative
(see IP/04/525) and the valuable work of the EU-US joint Customs
Cooperation Committee. Commissioner Kovács drew the attention of Mr
Chertoff to the request that the Commission has made to the World Customs
Organisation that the EU be allowed to participate as a full member of that
Organisation. Commissioner Kovács and Mr Chertoff agreed on the need to
promote EU-US security standards worldwide. Mr Kovács announced his
intention to pay a visit to Washington after the summer break.
[08] Benita Ferrero-Waldner's visit to Libya
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and
European Neighbourhood Policy, travelled to Benghazi and Tripoli, Libya, on
24Â and 25 May 2005. In talks with the highest authorities, including
Colonel Muammar Khadafi and Libyan Prime Minister, Shokri Ghanem, she
discussed how to advance EU-Libyan relations, including under the Barcelona
Process, and raised the case of Bulgarian and Palestinian medical workers
under sentence of death in Libya. The Commissioner's trip has also been an
opportunity to raise international awareness of the Benghazi AIDS tragedy.
Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner explained to the Libyan side work underway to
implement the EU-sponsored Action Plan in favour of those affected by
HIV/AIDS in the country. She met children suffering from HIV/AIDS in
Benghazi and their families, as well as Libyan medical personnel. She also
visited the Bulgarian and Palestinian medical workers in their prison in
Tripoli. These visits are the first ever by a high level EU representative.
[09] EU Troika and Latin America ministers meet in Luxembourg (26-27/05)
EU Foreign Affairs Ministers will meet with Ministers from the 'Rio Group',
a forum assembling all countries of Latin America, on 26 and 27 May 2005.
At the same time, separate meetings will take place between the EU Troika
and Mercosur, Central America, the Andean Community, Chile and Mexico.
Discussions will focus on preparations for the UN Summit in September 2005
and regional integration and cooperation. Other issues will include social
cohesion and the creation of employment as a means for poverty eradication.
Alongside European Commissioner for External Relations and European
Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU will be represented by
the Luxembourg Foreign Minister, Jean Asselborn, and the High
Representative, Javier Solana.
[10] Commission clears acquisition of Corenso by Stora Enso
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Corenso United Oy Ltd of
Finland and the German undertakings Corenso United (Deutschland) GmbH & Co
KG, Corenso-Elfes GmbH & Co KG and Elfes Beteiligungs GmbH (collectively
known as Corenso) by Finnish undertaking Stora Enso Oyj (Stora Enso). Stora
Enso is an international group active in the production and sale of forest
industry products, in particular wood-based fibre products such as paper
and board, pulp and sawn timber. Corenso is an international group with
activities worldwide in the production and sale of coreboard and cores.
Coreboard is a paper/board material made from recycled material. Cores are
tubes produced from coreboard by winding processes, normally used as the
base around which various products (eg paper, film, adhesive tape, fabric
and yarn) are wound. The group operates four companies, one in Finland and
three in Germany. Corenso is currently jointly controlled by Stora Enso and
UPM-Kymmene, an international industrial group active in the production and
sale of forest industry products (magazine paper, newsprint, fine papers
and wood products). Although this operation does not have a Community
dimension, it was examined under the simplified merger review procedure
after referral by the competent national authorities.
[11] La Commission se félicite de la décision du Conseil de fixer de
nouvelles cibles ambitieuses pour l'aide au développement (24/05)
La Commission européenne se félicite du soutien du Conseil Affaires
Générales, en formation des ministres du Développement, aux propositions
de la Commission pour augmenter l'Aide Publique au Développement (APD) et
accélérer les progrès vers les Objectifs du Millénaire pour le
Développement (OMD). "Cet engagement ambitieux place l'Union européenne
en tête du développement à l'échelle mondiale à la veille du sommet des
Nations Unies sur les OMD", a déclaré le Commissaire au Développement et
à l'Aide humanitaire, Louis Michel.
[12] Commission and UNEP cooperate to address global environmental threats
(24/05)
The European Commission and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
met in Brussels to discuss cooperation in addressing threats to the
environment. The High Level Meeting, co-chaired by Klaus Töpfer (Executive
Director of UNEP) and Catherine Day (Director-General of DG Environment),
took place in response to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between
the Commission and UNEP in September 2004. The Memorandum reinforces policy
dialogue and collaboration between the two institutions, supports
implementation of the commitments made at the 2002 World Summit on
Sustainable Development and helps reach the environment-related UN
Millennium Development Goals. The meeting agreed a joint work programme
designed to support these objectives.
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
25 mai : les actions de la Commission en faveur des enfants et adolescents
25 mai : une stratégie européenne pour protéger les droits de l'enfant
EU-Latin America : growing relations
Speech by Margot Wallström : "Media - a key partner in communicating
Europe" at roundtable organised by European Federation of Journalists
(24/5)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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