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EU News Flashes and Events for 97-05-13
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS
[01] ECOFIN finds fault with Italy
[02] ERM membership?
[03] Italy isolated in Club Med
[04] ECOFIN discusses draft energy tax
[05] Fuel VAT cut is legal/Brown
[06] Kok confident on EU reform deal
[07] ERM membership "a moot point"
[08] BOE towards Maastricht rules
[09] Portugal EMU convergence plan
[10] EU welcomes Spanish EMU plans
[11] Italy will be EMU founder member
[12] UK stresses human rights
[13] EU to back NATO assets use deal
[14] EU crime prevention network call
[15] Beef export subsidies to 2005
[16] UK sees no EU beef ban quick end
[17] Fish "quota hoppers" battle/UK
[18] Guinness/GrandMet merger
[19] Boeing/McDonnell merger/Van Miert
[20] Poland's EU information centre
[21] Main EU events for May 13
[01] ECOFIN finds fault with Italy
BRUSSELS - Italy's chances of joining Europe's single currency in 1999 were
cast into doubt on Monday when Rome's European Union partners found it falling
short in efforts to get its economy in order.
[02] ERM membership?
BRUSSELS - The controversial issue of whether membership in Europe's Exchange
Rate Mechanism is mandatory for those wishing to join a single currency
resurfaced on Monday after Britain said participation was not necessary.
[03] Italy isolated in Club Med
BRUSSELS - Spain and Portugal stole a march on Italy in a race among the
European Union's southern members to join a single currency, after the
European Commission on Monday gave Rome a stern warning on its public
finances.
[04] ECOFIN discusses draft energy tax
BRUSSELS - The ECOFIN Council held preparatory discussions on Monday on a
new proposal to raise and extend minimum taxes on energy, but a political
debate on the controversial issue must still take place, Dutch finance
minister Gerrit Zalm told a press conference.
[05] Fuel VAT cut is legal/Brown
BRUSSELS - British Chancellor Gordon Brown held discussions with top European
Commission officials early on Monday to argue that his planned cut in value
added tax on domestic fuel consumption was legal.
[06] Kok confident on EU reform deal
LISBON - Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok, racing against time to secure a deal on
European Union reform, said on Monday that he was confident accord could be
reached by next month's Amsterdam summit.
[07] ERM membership "a moot point"
BRUSSELS - Dutch Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm on Monday said participation in
Europe's exchange rate mechanism as a condition for joining the single
currency was subject to interpretation.
[08] BOE towards Maastricht rules
BRUSSELS - Finance Minister Gordon Brown's decision to give the Bank of
England freedom to set interest rates is a significant step towards meeting
the Maastricht Treaty requirements on central bank independence, European
monetary affairs commissioner Yves Thibault de Silguy said on Monday.
[09] Portugal EMU convergence plan
BRUSSELS - European Union finance ministers welcomed on Monday Portugal's
economic convergence programme to qualify for the European single currency, a
diplomat said.
[10] EU welcomes Spanish EMU plans
BRUSSELS - European Union finance ministers welcomed on Monday Spain's
economic convergence plan sholwing its progress towards meeting economic and
monetary union, a Spanish diplomat said.
[11] Italy will be EMU founder member
ROME - Prime Minister Romano Prodi was quoted as saying on Monday he had no
doubts Italy would be a founder EMU member, despite question marks raised by
the European Commission over Italy's fiscal credibility.
[12] UK stresses human rights
LONDON - New Foreign Secretary Robin Cook vowed on Monday that human rights
would dominate British foreign policy and said sanctions should be imposed on
Nigeria if it failed to make democratic reforms.
[13] EU to back NATO assets use deal
PARIS - European defence and foreign ministers are set to agree proposals
which would allow them to move ahead with plans to use NATO's largely U.S.-
owned resources for European-only security operations, diplomats say.
[14] EU crime prevention network call
NOORDWIJK, Netherlands - The EU should set up an official crime prevention
network so members can learn from each others' experience and cooperate in
crime prevention, Dutch Justice Minister Winnie Sorgdrager said on Monday.
[15] Beef export subsidies to 2005
BRUSSELS - Beef exports from the European Union will continue to need
subsidies to the year 2005 because prices will remain above those of other
exporting countries, the European Commission said in a report obtained by
Reuters.
[16] UK sees no EU beef ban quick end
BRUSSELS - Jack Cunningham, Britain's new Agriculture Minister, sought on
Monday to make a quick start to improving relations with the European Union
but did not see any early lifting of a world ban on British beef exports.
[17] Fish "quota hoppers" battle/UK
BRUSSELS - Britain will fight to get rid of fishing "quota hoppers" but it
does not intend to veto a review of the European Union treaty, British
Agriculture Minister Jack Cunningham said on Monday.
[18] Guinness/GrandMet merger
BRUSSELS - The European Commission declined to comment on Monday on whether it
would probe the 20-billion pound merger between Guinness <GUIN.L>and Grand
Metropolitan Plc <GMET.L>saying the companies had not yet submitted the plan
for clearance.
[19] Boeing/McDonnell merger/Van Miert
STOCKHOLM - A European Commission spokesman on Monday denied a media report
that the commission's competition policy authority had decided it would block
a proposed merger between Boeing Corp and McDonnell Douglas Corp.
[20] Poland's EU information centre
WARSAW - Poland's government on Monday launched an EU Information Centre with
relays of specially trained students fielding calls from citizens wondering
what membership of the bloc will mean for them.
[21] Main EU events for May 13
BRUSSELS - European Commissioners Flynn and Monti and Societe General Chairman
Etienne Davignon hold joint news conference at 1015 GMT to present a report by
the labour experts group whose aim was to break the deadlocks such as the one
on the European company statute.
HABAY-LA-NEUVE, Belgium - - European Commissioner Van Miert addresses Arlon
Committee Financial Forum on "Competition: European stakes and perspectives"
at 0930 GMT.
STRASBOURG - European Parliament plenary session begins at 0700 GMT (second of
five days).
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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