|
|
|
EU News Flashes and Events for 97-01-28
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS
[01] ECOFIN cracks down on tax breaks
[02] New third country lending system
[03] No geographic bias for EMU/Dutch
[04] Euro council open to "pre-ins"
[05] EMU may lower interest rates
[06] New EU rural/farm policy/Fischler
[07] EU racism centre vetoed/Britain
[08] EU anti-dumping policy/Brittan
[09] France not notified on gene-maize
[10] S.Africa-EU trade deal closer
[11] EU urges reforms in Bulgaria
[12] $460 million for Ethiopia
[13] Main EU events for January 28
[01] ECOFIN cracks down on tax breaks
BRUSSELS - European Union finance ministers vowed on Monday to crack down on
tax breaks which they said could create unfair competition among countries
sharing a single market and soon to share a single currency.
[02] New third country lending system
BRUSSELS - European Union finance ministers on Monday agreed a new system for
lending money to third countries, raising the amount available by lowering the
sum that must be guaranteed.
[03] No geographic bias for EMU/Dutch
BRUSSELS - Dutch Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm, criticised earlier this month
for saying some EU states should not be in the first wave of a single
currency, said on Monday there would be no geographic bias in deciding
members.
[04] Euro council open to "pre-ins"
BRUSSELS - Belgian Finance Minister Philippe Maystadt said on Monday he
supported the idea of an economic council to co-ordinate policies inside
European monetary union, but this must not exclude countries waiting to join
the new single currency.
[05] EMU may lower interest rates
BRUSSELS - European economic and monetary union could mean lower interest
rates for all involved, but that pleasant prospect could be ruined by a single
reckless member, German Finance Minister Theo Waigel said on Monday.
[06] New EU rural/farm policy/Fischler
BRUSSELS - Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler fought on Monday to save plans for
an integrated rural development policy, rejecting claims that there was
widespread opposition.
[07] EU racism centre vetoed/Britain
BRUSSELS - Britain denied on Monday that it had vetoed plans to set up a
European Union centre to collect data about racism and xenophobia, saying it
only objected to creating it under the proposed EU treaty provision.
[08] EU anti-dumping policy/Brittan
BRUSSELS - European Union anti-dumping policies does not target specific
countries or groups of countries, Sir Leon Brittan, the European Commissioner
with responsiblity for trade, told a seminar on Monday.
[09] France not notified on gene-maize
BRUSSELS - France has not yet been officially notified of a decision to allow
the import of genetically modified maize into the European Union, a European
Commission spokesman said on Monday.
[10] S.Africa-EU trade deal closer
PRETORIA - South Africa and the European Union said on Monday they were edging
nearer a trade deal after weekend talks, with details of Pretoria's membership
of the Lome Convention likely to be hammered out next month.
[11] EU urges reforms in Bulgaria
THE HAGUE - The European Union on Monday called for swift reforms in Bulgaria
to try and rescue the economy which has plunged into hyper-inflation.
[12] $460 million for Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA - The European Union signed an agreement on Monday giving
Ethiopia $460 million in grants and development loans, a joint statement said.
[13] Main EU events for January 28
BRUSSELS - European Commissioner Monti attends EP Inquiry Committee on Transit
at 1400 GMT. - - - BRUSSELS - Monetary Committee Chairman Sir Nigel Wicks
attends EP Monetary Affairs Subcommittee at 0800 GMT.
BRUSSELS - EP Culture Committee public hearing on "Islam and Europe: points of
convergence" begins at 0800 GMT.
BRUSSELS - Former Bundesbank President Schlesinger addresses Centre for
European Policy Studies lunchtime meeting on "The passage to the euro" at 1130
GMT.
WASHINGTON - EU, U.S. hold meeting to prepare for summit in May; European
Commissioner Brittan and Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van Mierlo attend.
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
|
