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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-03-26
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Spokesman's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb
26/03/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 25 mars - Outcome of the Commission
meeting of 25 March
[01] Commission pledges continuing support for international fund for
Ireland
[02] Commission proposes to enhance EU support to heavily indebted poor ACP
States
[03] La Commission donne son feu vert à l'opération Maribel: une action
positive pour le travail manuel en Belgique
[04] Commission approves Dutch measure to lower the cost of research
personnel
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[05] G7 Global Marketplace for SMEs Conference, 7-9 April, Bonn
[06] Opération ECHO-FLIGHT prolongée a l'est et au centre de l'Afrique
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 25 mars - Outcome of the Commission
meeting of 25 March
[01] Commission pledges continuing support for international fund for
Ireland
The European Commission adopted a proposal for a Council Regulation
providing continuing European Union (EU) support for the International Fund
for Ireland (IFI), at ECU 34 million, for the period 1998-1999. This latest
decision means that, since 1989, the EU will have provided a total of ECU
184 million by the end of the century to the IFI, which was set up by
agreement between the United Kingdom and Irish Governments to promote cross-
community reconciliation as well as economic and social progress in
Northern Ireland and the Bordercounties.
[02] Commission proposes to enhance EU support to heavily indebted poor ACP
States
The European Commission adopted a proposal for enhanced support to heavily
indebted poor countries from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP). The
Commission's proposal is made in the context of the comprehensive
international programme of action to alleviate the debt problems of the
heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) - the HIPC Debt initiative,
endorsed at the Autumn 1996 Washington Annual Meetings of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The EU would provide additional
structural adjustment assistance, financing of debt repayment and expertise
on debt management.
[03] La Commission donne son feu vert à l'opération Maribel: une action
positive pour le travail manuel en Belgique
La Commission européenne a approuvé le nouveau régime belge, connu sous le
nom de "Maribel quater", et dont l'objectif est de favoriser l'emploi des
travailleurs manuels. Le régime introduit une réduction des contributions
de sécurité sociale pour tous les employeurs occupant des travailleurs
manuels. Il s'agit d'une réduction forfaitaire augmentée d'une réduction
supplémentaire proportionnelle à l'intensité de main d'oeuvre manuelle dans
l'entreprise. Le régime proposé a été considéré comme une mesure générale
et non comme une aide en raison de son caractère général et automatique et
du fait qu'il ne discrimine pas a priori entre secteurs.
[04] Commission approves Dutch measure to lower the cost of research
personnel
The European Commission has approved the Dutch authorities' scheme aimed at
stimulating R&D activities by lowering the cost of research personnel. The
Commission has decided to consider the scheme as a general fiscal measure
and not as State aid.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[05] G7 Global Marketplace for SMEs Conference, 7-9 April, Bonn
The European Commission, on behalf of the G7 members and with the support
of the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and the City of Bonn/Telebonn,
is organising the first Annual Conference of the G7 Project "Global
Marketplace for SMEs".This is an international project launched by the G7
countries at their Ministerial Conference on the Global Information Society
in Brussels, February 1995. In addition to the G7 countries (Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, USA) and the European Commission,
several other countries and international organisations are currently
involved in the Project (Center and Eastern European Countries, Lithuania,
The Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, OECD). The
Project has set up a global business information network, is supporting
international pilot-projects and testbeds and is investigating barriers to
electronic commerce, all with a view to promoting the participation of SMEs
in global electronic commerce.
[06] Opération ECHO-FLIGHT prolongée a l'est et au centre de l'Afrique
La Commission européenne a approuvé un financement d'une valeur de 4
millions d'Ecus pour la prolongation de l'opération ECHO-Flight. Cette
opération permet aux organisations humanitaires de transporter par avion
l'aide et le personnel vers des régions en crise de Somalie, du sud du
Soudan et d'Ouganda. Ce nouveau financement prolonge l'opération de 6 mois,
jusqu'à la fin octobre 1997. Jusqu'à présent l'opération ECHO-Flight a été
financée à hauteur de 25,8 millions d'Ecus.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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