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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 06-04-26
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 addresses specificities of social services
[02] State aid: Commission opens in-depth inquiry into proposed subsidy to
General Motors Belgium
[03] State aid: Commission opens in-depth inquiry into proposed subsidy to
General Motors Belgium
[04] Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Austrian mobile phone
operator tele.ring by T-Mobile, subject to conditions
[05] Pertes pour les compagnies aériennes suite au 11 septembre 2001: la
Commission européenne accepte en partie les mesures prises par la Grèce
[06] European Commission takes Greece to Court for aid to Olympic
[07] Counterfeiting and piracy: Commission proposes criminal law provisions
to combat intellectual property offences
[08] State aids: Commission authorises transfer of nature protection areas
in the new Laender of Germany
[09] Statement by Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner on the situation in Sri
Lanka
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[10] February 2006 compared to January 2006 - Industrial production stable
in both euro-zone and EU25
[11] February 2006 compared to January 2006 - Industrial new orders up by
2.7% in euro-zone - EU25 up by 0.5%
[12] Commission approves acquisition by E.ON of Endesa
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2006-04-26
Reference: MEX/06/0426
Date: 26/04/2006
EXME06 / 26.4
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Presse etb
Communication
26/04/06
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome
of today's Commission meeting
[01] Commission addresses specificities of social services
As social services modernise in many EU Member States, often in partnership
with the private sector and non-profit organisations, all involved need
clarification on how European law affects this evolving situation. A new
Communication adopted today by the European Commission addresses this issue
and the rapid changes in 'social services of general interest'. The
Communication presents for the first time a list of these services'
specific characteristics and reviews the support which they receive from
various existing community instruments. It also opens up a process of wide
consultation, open to all actors of the sectors, Member States, Social
Partners, NGOs and operators of social services, through which the
Commission will better take into account the specificities of those
services when implementing EU legislation. These services differ from
country to country, but can include sectors such as social housing,
childcare or services towards families and persons in need. However, it
does not deal with health services, which will fall under a separate
initiative from the Commission.
[02] State aid: Commission opens in-depth inquiry into proposed subsidy to
General Motors Belgium
The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation to establish
whether the €5.33 million grant the Flemish Region intends to give for
supporting training at General Motors Belgium in Antwerp is compatible with
the EC Treaty rules on state aid. The Commission doubts that the aid
incites the company to undertake additional training activities, in which
case the aid would not be necessary and would constitute a prohibited
operating aid. The opening of an in-depth investigation allows interested
parties to comment on the proposed measures. It does not prejudge the
outcome of the procedure.
[03] State aid: Commission opens in-depth inquiry into proposed subsidy to
General Motors Belgium
The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation to establish
whether the €5.33 million grant the Flemish Region intends to give for
supporting training at General Motors Belgium in Antwerp is compatible with
the EC Treaty rules on state aid. The Commission doubts that the aid
incites the company to undertake additional training activities, in which
case the aid would not be necessary and would constitute a prohibited
operating aid. The opening of an in-depth investigation allows interested
parties to comment on the proposed measures. It does not prejudge the
outcome of the procedure.
[04] Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Austrian mobile phone
operator tele.ring by T-Mobile, subject to conditions
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed acquisition of the Austrian mobile phone operator tele.ring by T-
Mobile Austria, subject to conditions and obligations. The Commission’s
in-depth investigation showed that the concentration, as initially notified,
would have led to a substantial impediment of effective competition on the
Austrian market for the provision of mobile telephony services to final
consumers. However, in the light of the commitment by the merging parties
to divest UMTS frequencies and mobile telephony sites of tele.ring to
operators with lower market shares than T-Mobile Austria, the Commission
has now concluded that the proposed transaction would not significantly
impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or a
significant part of it.
[05] Pertes pour les compagnies aériennes suite au 11 septembre 2001: la
Commission européenne accepte en partie les mesures prises par la Grèce
La Commission européenne a décidé aujourd’hui d’autoriser environ 2
millions d’euros d’aides versées par l’Etat grec la compagnie
Olympic Airways pour compenser des pertes dues la fermeture de l’espace
aérien entre le 11 et le 14 septembre 2001. En revanche, conformément
la pratique établie pour d’autres pays la Commission ne peut accepter
les mesures prises pour indemniser des vols non effectués après le 14
septembre 2001. La somme récupérer ce titre s’élève environ 2,8
millions d’euros.
[06] European Commission takes Greece to Court for aid to Olympic
The European Commission decided today to refer Greece to the European Court
of Justice for failure to comply with its state aid decision of 14
September 2005. This decision required Greece to quantify and recover all
the unlawfully granted aid to Olympic Airways and Olympic Airlines since
December 2002. It also asked Greece to immediately suspend all further
payments of aid to Olympic Airways and Olympic Airlines, and gave Greece
two months to inform the Commission of the steps taken to comply.
[07] Counterfeiting and piracy: Commission proposes criminal law provisions
to combat intellectual property offences
The Commission has today adopted a proposal for a directive to combat
intellectual property offences that amends the proposal approved by it on
12 July 2005. It is thus responding to the Court ruling of 13 September
2005 in Case C-176/03, according to which the criminal law provisions
necessary for the effective implementation of Community law are a matter
for Community law . Accordingly, the proposal for a Council framework
decision to strengthen the criminal law framework to combat intellectual
property offences has been withdrawn and its provisions incorporated into
the amended proposal for a directive.
[08] State aids: Commission authorises transfer of nature protection areas
in the new Laender of Germany
The European Commission has today authorised Germany to transfer the
ownership of land for free for the development of sustainable nature
protection areas. Only land in nature protection areas, national parks, and
in biosphere reservations is eligible for this transfer. The new owners –
the Laender or the environmental protection foundations and associations
– must maintain and develop these areas permanently according to nature
protection goals.
[09] Statement by Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner on the situation in Sri
Lanka
“I was shocked and disappointed to hear about the suicide bomb which
targeted Lt General Sarath Fonseka and killed several people. I send my
condolences to the families of those who were killed in the attack. There
can never be any justification for attacks of this nature and I utterly
condemn this bombing.” The Commissioner called on the LTTE to cease all
violence. She expressed her grave concern about the recent deterioration of
the situation in Sri Lanka, with incidents of communal violence and the
killing of civilians. “It is totally unacceptable to pursue political
goals through violence and this does nothing to help build the climate
needed to work towards the lasting peace wanted by the vast majority of
people in Sri Lanka.”
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[10] February 2006 compared to January 2006 - Industrial production stable
in both euro-zone and EU25
Seasonally adjusted industrial production remained stable in the euro-zone
in February 2006 compared to January 2006. Production grew by 0.2% in both
January and December. Output in the EU25 also remained stable in February
2006, after rises of 0.2% in January and of 0.4% in December. In February
2006 compared to February 2005, industrial production rose by 3.2% in the
euro-zone and by 2.9% in the EU25. These estimates are released by
Eurostat.
[11] February 2006 compared to January 2006 - Industrial new orders up by
2.7% in euro-zone - EU25 up by 0.5%
The euro-zone industrial new orders index increased by 2.7% in February
2006 compared to January 2006. The index decreased by 5.7% in January and
increased by 5.5% in December. EU25 new orders rose by 0.5% in February
2006, after a fall of 3.5% in January and a rise of 5.9% in December.
Excluding ships, railway and aerospace equipment4 industrial new orders
grew by 0.3% in February 2006 in the euro-zone and fell by 1.1% in the
EU25. In February 2006 compared to February 2005, industrial new orders
increased by 13.3% in the euro-zone and by 10.4% in the EU25. Total
industry excluding ships, railway and aerospace equipment grew by 10.4% in
the euro-zone and by 7.6% in the EU25.
These estimates are released by Eurostat.
[12] Commission approves acquisition by E.ON of Endesa
The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the
acquisition of sole control through a public takeover bid for Endesa S.A.
(Endesa), a Spanish energy company mainly active in the electricity sector,
by E.ON AG (E.ON), based in Germany. After examining the operation, the
Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would not significantly
impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or any
substantial part of it and has therefore approved the concentration. The
Commission will continue to keep the development in the German and Spanish
gas and electricity markets and the other markets concerned under review.
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Memo sur la Communication de la Commission sur les services sociaux
d’intérêt général
Speech by Stavros Dimas : "Solutions for the responsible recycling of
ships" at European Parliament Open Hearing (25/04)
Speech by Janez Potočnik : "Back to basics - putting excellence at the
heart of European Research" at London School of Economics and Political
Science (25/04)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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