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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-02-19
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] EU reform strategy delivering jobs, says new report
[02] Shared approach is improving social cohesion in Europe
[03] Commission launches consultation on carbon dioxide capture and
geological storage
[04] La Commission autorise l'acquisition de Consolis par LBO
[05] Commission clears planned entry of Lite-On into Philips & BenQ Digital
Storage Corporation Joint Venture
[06] La Commission autorise le projet d'acquisition de l'activité de
production de modules de lecture pour automobiles de Philips par Philips &
BenQ Digital Storage Corporation
[07] Regional GDP per inhabitant in the EU27 - GDP per inhabitant in 2004
ranged from 24% of the EU27 average in Nord-Est in Romania to 303% in Inner
London
[08] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2007-02-19
Reference: MEX/07/0219
Date: 19/02/2007
EXME07 / 19.2
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
19/02/07
[01] EU reform strategy delivering jobs, says new report
Unemployment is down and employment on the rise according to the Joint
Employment Report, to be adopted by employment ministers on 22 February.
The Commission report - which assesses Member States’ implementation of
their national reform programmes in the area of employment – is upbeat.
However, it underlines the need for more rigorous reforms, in particular to
better balance flexibility with security in the job market – the
flexicurity approach. The Commission has also put forward specific national
recommendations to most Member States.
[02] Shared approach is improving social cohesion in Europe
European cooperation is helping EU Member States improve social cohesion
policies and spending, says a Commission report to be discussed by
employment ministers on 22 February. The 2007 'Joint Report on Social
Protection and Inclusion' highlights priorities and progress made in the
areas of social inclusion, pensions, healthcare and long-term care – but
underlines that big challenges remain. Member States are stepping up
efforts to tackle child poverty, promote 'active inclusion' of the most
disadvantaged in society, ensure adequate and sustainable pensions as well
as equal access to health and long-term care. Once adopted by the Council,
the report will go to the Spring Summit of EU leaders on 8-9 March as the
social contribution to the jobs and growth package.
[03] Commission launches consultation on carbon dioxide capture and
geological storage
As part of its measures to fight climate change, the European Commission
today launched an on-line public consultation on carbon dioxide capture and
geological storage (CCS). CCS is a technology that has the potential to
significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. It
involves capturing emissions at source and putting them in underground
geological formations like oil and gas fields to prevent CO2 from migrating
to the surface and being released into the atmosphere. If successful,
geological storage could remove 80-90% of the CO2 emissions from power
plants, according to UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
estimates. CCS technology could be part of the global efforts to reduce the
costs of stabilising CO2 concentrations in the earth's atmosphere by 30% or
more. Carbon capture and storage is one of the measures addressed by the
Commission in its energy and climate package of 10 January 2007 to cut
emissions of greenhouse gases and combat climate change. The consultation
is part of the Commission's preparations of a legislative proposal to
regulate carbon capture and storage in a sustainable way. The Commission
will examine the risks associated with each aspect - capture, transport and
storage - with a particular emphasis on possible negative effects on the
environment. The Commission will then propose how best to proceed. The
consultation runs until 16 April 2007 on the following website: <a
href="http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/ccs/consult_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/ccs/consult_en.htm
[04] La Commission autorise l'acquisition de Consolis par LBO
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement
Concentrations, le projet d'acquisition de l'entreprise française Consolis
SAS (Consolis) par LBO France Gestion SAS (LBO). LBO est un fonds
d'investissement. Consolis est active dans la conception et la fabrication
d'éléments préfabriqués en béton. Il ressort de l'enquête menée par
la Commission que l'opération envisagée n'entravera pas de manière
significative la concurrence dans le marché commun. Cette affaire a été
traitée selon la procédure simplifiée.
[05] Commission clears planned entry of Lite-On into Philips & BenQ Digital
Storage Corporation Joint Venture
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed entry by Lite-On, a Taiwan technology company, into Philips & BenQ
Digital Storage Corporation (PBDS) of Taiwan. Under the planned transaction,
Lite-On would replace BenQ as shareholder, while Philips NV would maintain
its shares. The Commission concluded that the transaction would not
significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or
in any substantial part of it.
[06] La Commission autorise le projet d'acquisition de l'activité de
production de modules de lecture pour automobiles de Philips par Philips &
BenQ Digital Storage Corporation
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement communautaire
sur les concentrations, le projet d'acquisition de l'activité de
production de modules de lecture pour automobiles de Philips, société
néerlandaise, par la société Philips & BenQ Digital Storage Corporation
(PBDS), société taïwanaise. La Commission a conclu que l'opération
n'entraverait pas significativement une concurrence effective dans l'Espace
économique européen ou une partie substantielle de celui-ci.
[07] Regional GDP per inhabitant in the EU27 - GDP per inhabitant in 2004
ranged from 24% of the EU27 average in Nord-Est in Romania to 303% in Inner
London
In 2004, GDP per inhabitant, expressed in terms of purchasing power
standards, in the EU27's 268 NUTS-2 regions ranged from 24% of the EU27
average in the region of Nord-Est in Romania, to 303% of the average in
Inner London in the United Kingdom. This information is taken from data
released by Eurostat. The three leading regions in the ranking of regional
GDP per inhabitant in 2004 were Inner London in the United Kingdom (303% of
the average), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (251%) and Bruxelles/Brussels
in Belgium (248%). Among the 46 regions exceeding the 125% level, eight
each were in Germany and the United Kingdom, seven in Italy, five in the
Netherlands, four in Austria, three each in Belgium and Spain, two in
Finland, one region each in the Czech Republic, Ireland, France, Slovakia
and Sweden, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It should be noted, however,
that in some regions the GDP per inhabitant figures can be significantly
influenced by commuter flows. Net commuter inflows in these regions push up
production to a level that could not be achieved by the resident active
population on its own. The result is that GDP per inhabitant can be
overestimated in these regions and underestimated in regions with commuter
outflows.
[08] Autre matériel diffusé
Memo on Joint Employment Report 2006
Memo on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2007
Speech by Neelie Kroes "Getting more from financial services markets:
greater competition for a better deal for consumers" at the London School
of Economics
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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