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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-09-10
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
10/09/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] EU and Vietnam sign new textiles agreement
[02] Monika Wulf-Mathies : "This autumn the Member States will have to
stand up and be counted"
[01] EU and Vietnam sign new textiles agreement
The European Union and Vietnam today signed a new textiles agreement for
the period 1998-2000. The agreement which covers textile and clothing was
signed in Brussels by Sir Leon Brittan, European Commission Vice President,
and Mr Truong Dinh Tuyen, Minister for Trade for the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam. It replaces the 1993 agreement and will mean improvements in
market access for both parties.
[02] Monika Wulf-Mathies : "This autumn the Member States will have to
stand up and be counted"
"This autumn the Member States will have to stand up and be counted". This
is the message Monika Wulf-Mathies, European Commissioner responsible for
Regional Policies gave when speaking to the Economic and Social Committee
today. "The moment of truth is now upon us in terms of concentration of
assistance : this is the acid test for future cohesion policy. Without
geographical concentration, not only will we be getting into a budgetary
cul-de-sac - we will also be sacrificing the cohesive benefits of European
regional support for the sake of a system of subsidies which gives equal
handouts to everybody," she continued. She praised the Economic and Social
Committee as the first of the European institutions to adopt an opinion on
the Commission's proposals for the new Structural Fund regulations, thus
demonstrating that a consensus can be reached at European level on the
future of structural policy even though regional, sectoral and national
interests differ. This, she said, should send an important signal to
national governments, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament
that they "should forget tactical manoeuvring and take the crucial
decisions as quickly as possible for the sake of those who stand to
benefit."
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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