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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-03-26Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>CONTENTS / CONTENU
MIDDAY EXPRESSNews from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefingNouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb26/03/07[01] Echange de quotas d'émission : la Commission approuve le plan national d'allocation de la France pour la période 2008-2012La Commission européenne a adopté aujourd'hui le plan national d'allocation de quotas d'émission de dioxyde de carbone (CO²) de la France pour la période 2008-2012 du système communautaire d'échange de quotas d'émission (SCEQE). La Commission a accepté le nombre total de quotas d'émissions proposé par la France – équivalent à 132,8 millions de tonnes de CO². L'approbation de la Commission est subordonnée à la modification d'un élément technique du plan. La France a retiré la première version de son PNA en novembre 2006 qui proposait des autorisations totalisant 155,6 millions de tonnes de CO², et a présenté un nouveau PNA amendé fin 2006. L'objectif de la Commission lorsqu'elle se prononce sur les plans nationaux élaborés dans le cadre du SCEQE est de veiller à ce que les Etats membres s'acquittent de leurs obligations en matière d'émissions dans le cadre du protocole de Kyoto.[02] Emissions trading : Commission decides on Czech and Polish national allocation plans for 2008-2012The European Commission today took decisions on the national plans of the Czech Republic and Poland for allocating CO² emission allowances for the 2008-2012 trading period of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). It accepted both national plans on condition that a number of changes are made, including a significant reduction in the total number of emission allowances proposed by each Member State. The cleared annual allocation of CO² allowances is 86.8 million tonnes for the Czech Republic, 14.8% lower than proposed, and 208.5 million tonnes for Poland, 26.7% lower than proposed. The Emissions Trading Scheme ensures that greenhouse gas emissions from the energy and industry sectors covered are cut at least cost to the economy, thus helping the EU and its Member States to meet their emission commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.[03] OGM : trois variétés de colza autorisées pour l'importation et la transformation en aliments pour animauxLa Commission européenne a autorisé aujourd'hui la mise sur le marché des trois variétés de colza Ms8, Rf3 et Ms8xRf3, génétiquement modifiées pour leur conférer une tolérance à l'herbicide glufosinate- ammonium. Cette autorisation sera valable pendant dix ans et s'applique à l'importation des colzas, à leur transformation en aliments pour animaux et à leur utilisation à des fins industrielles. Elle prévoit des mesures devant être prises par la société qui a mis au point les graines de colza GM afin d'empêcher tout préjudice éventuel pour la santé et pour l'environnement en cas de dissémination accidentelle. L'huile transformée dérivée de ces colza GM a déjà été agréée dans l'UE pour des usages alimentaires en 1999 et en 2000.[04] Commission clears acquisition of Erasmus by Delta LloydThe European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Erasmus Groep B.V. (Erasmus) of the Netherlands by Delta Lloyd Verzekeringen N.V. (Delta Lloyd) of the Netherlands, a subsidiary of the UK Aviva insurance group. Delta Lloyd and Erasmus are both active in the Dutch insurance sector. Aviva is a savings, investment and insurance group active worldwide. The operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.[05] Commission requests Germany to end discriminatory rules applied to non- resident tax payersBy a Reasoned Opinion under Article 226 of the EC Treaty, the European Commission has formally requested Germany to modify the withholding tax system applied on the income of certain categories of non-resident taxpayers – particularly artists and sportsmen. According to German law, a flat-rate withholding tax is applied to the total income without any possibility of deducting business expenses. A subsequent refund procedure allows non-resident tax payers to ask for reimbursement of the overpaid tax. The Commission considers the tax deduction at source and refund procedure incompatible with the principle of freedom to provide services in the Internal Market. If there is no satisfactory reaction to the reasoned opinion within two months, the Commission may decide to refer the matter to the European Court of Justice.[06] Commission requests Austria to end discriminatory rules on personal income taxBy a reasoned opinion under Article 226 of the EC Treaty, the European Commission has formally requested Austria to change one provision of its personal income tax legislation that is incompatible with the principles of free movement of worker and freedom of establishment in the Internal Market. According to Austrian law, under certain conditions resident taxpayers with foreign income cannot benefit from full tax deduction of personal expenses while residents with domestic income can. If there is no satisfactory reaction to the reasoned opinion within two months, the Commission may decide to refer the matter to the European Court of Justice.[07] Zimbabwe : la Commission consacre €8 millions à l'aide humanitaire destinée aux groupes vulnérablesLa Commission européenne a adopté un plan global d'aide humanitaire d'un montant de €8 millions en faveur du Zimbabwe pour 2007. Ce plan vise à atténuer les effets de la crise persistante sur les groupes de population les plus exposés tels que les malades du VIH/sida, les orphelins et les autres enfants vulnérables, les personnes âgées, les veuves, les ménages dont le chef de famille est un enfant et les personnes déplacées dans le pays. Les fonds humanitaires sont acheminés par le service d'aide humanitaire de la Commission (ECHO), qui relève de la compétence du commissaire Louis Michel.[08] Animal welfare : EU conference to debate how labelling can improve animal protectionHow can animal welfare be made visually evident? How can sales of products from welfare-oriented animal husbandry be increased? What conditions must an EU-wide labelling system fulfil in order to promote welfare-oriented animal husbandry in farming? These and other questions will be debated at the conference 'Animal Welfare – Improving by Labelling?' on Wednesday 28 March, co-hosted by the German Presidency of the Council, the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) at the EESC building in Brussels. European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou and Horst Seehofer, Agriculture Council President and Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection will give the closing speeches on the prospects for animal welfare labelling at 17:30, and will be joined by EESC Vice-President Michael Graf von Schwerin for a press conference at 16:30. The press conference will take place in room JDE 63 of the EESC's Jacques Delors Building, 99 Rue Belliard, B-1040 Brussels. Further information and the conference programme are available at <a href="http://www.eu2007.de">www.eu2007.de[09] Autre matériel diffuséQuestions and Answers on the Regulation of GMOs in the European UnionNote on the Ecofin Council Les 50 ans du Traité Euratom A message to the people of Belarus from President José Manuel Barroso (25/03) Speech by Franco Frattini : "New challenges, new opportunities" at Security Research Conference (Berlin) Speech by Charlie McCreevy : "The Future of the Transatlantic Capital Market – Regulation, Risk, Governance" at Finance Dublin 8th Annual Conference (Dublin) Speech by Neelie Kroes : "Fact-based competition policy - the contribution of sector inquiries to better regulation, priority setting and detection" at 13th International Conference on Competition and the 14th European Competition Day (Munich) Speech by José Manuel Barroso : "A stronger Europe for a successful globalisation" for the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome (25/03, Berlin) Speech by José Manuel Barroso : "2007: When the successes of the past meet the challenges of the future" at opening ceremony of concert to mark 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome (24/03, Brussels) Speech by Margot Wallström : "A vision for Europe" at European Youth Summit (24/03, Rome) Speech by Mariann Fischer Boel : "European agricultural policy facing up to
new scenarios" at Confederazione Generale dell'Agricoltura Italiana (23/03,
Taormina)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/ Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |