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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-02-01
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
01/02/99
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Car prices in the European Union on 1 November 1998 - differences
decrease sharply
[02] Réfugiés, personnes déplacées et demandeurs d'asile : la Commission
accorde son soutien à des projets destinés à améliorer les structures
d'accueil et à favoriser les retours volontaires
[03] EU welcomes break in deadlocked banana dispute
[04] Colombia earthquake : Commission adds 500,000 euro to last week's 1
million euro in aid
[01] Car prices in the European Union on 1 November 1998 - differences
decrease sharply
The most recent report of the European Commission on car prices in the
European Union (EU) indicates that price differences have significantly
decreased, as compared with the situation on 1 May 1998. The situation on
1 November 1998 shows that the United Kingdom continues to be the most
expensive market, for 57 of the 76 best-selling models examined, while the
lowest prices were once again found in the Netherlands (for 20 models), but
also in Spain, Portugal and - recently - in Sweden. It appears that this
development is due to currency movements and to voluntary pricing measures
by the manufacturers. However, it remains attractive for consumers - and
in particular for UK residents - to buy a car abroad. The report further
reveals that more manufacturers than in the past kept price differentials
below 20%, and this is also true for an increasing number of their models.
The introduction of the euro on 1st January 1999 is going to increase price
transparency in "euroland" and should thereby promote cross-border trade
and further diminish price differences. In this context, it has to be
noted that the Commission is still faced with many complaints by final
customers, mainly UK residents, who encounter obstacles in car purchase in
other Member States. The Commission once again reminds manufacturers that,
under current European competition rules, cars must be made available
throughout the EU to dealers wishing to sell such models.
[02] Réfugiés, personnes déplacées et demandeurs d'asile : la Commission
accorde son soutien à des projets destinés à améliorer les structures
d'accueil et à favoriser les retours volontaires
La Commission européenne a annoncé qu'elle accordait son soutien à 76
projets représentant un montant de 16,75 millions d'euros en faveur des
réfugiés dans les pays de l'Union européenne (UE). Ces projets visent à
améliorer les structures d'accueil pour les demandeurs d'asile et les
personnes déplacées et à fournir aux étrangers qui souhaitent retourner
dans leur pays les moyens de le faire. Vingt-quatre projets concernant les
structures d'accueil ont reçu un financement total de 3,75 millions
d'euros. Dans le cadre du programme de retour volontaire, cinquante-deux
projets bénéficient de l'aide de l'UE pour un montant total de 13 millions
d'euros. C'est la deuxième année que la Commission accorde son soutien à
ce type de projets pilotes. En décembre 1998, la Commission a présenté une
proposition relative à un paquet pluriannuel de mesures concernant les
réfugiés, les demandeurs d'asile et les personnes déplacées. Il comprend
une action commune relative aux activités d'accueil et de retour volontaire
dotée d'un budget annuel de 15 millions d'euros.
[03] EU welcomes break in deadlocked banana dispute
European Commission Vice President Sir Leon Brittan issued the following
statement concerning the World Trade Organization's (WTO) procedures for
settling the EU-US banana dispute. "This is a highly satisfactory outcome.
I am grateful for the support given by the overwhelming majority of WTO
members for the European view. I am confident that the WTO will now be
able to consider first the question of the EU's compliance with the rules
and only after that any other question. This is exactly what we have
always sought to achieve. I am particularly pleased that it has been made
clear that the US has no WTO authorisation to impose its threatened
unilateral sanctions."
[04] Colombia earthquake : Commission adds 500,000 euro to last week's 1
million euro in aid
The European Commission has unblocked a further 500,000 euro for victims of
last week's earthquake in Colombia, to add to the 1 million euro made
available last week. The aid, managed by the European Community
Humanitarian Office (ECHO) is for victims in the provinces of Quindio,
Risaralda and Tolima. Funding will cover essential relief items, temporary
shelter and medical inputs. ECHO's partners are members of the Red Cross
family, Medecins sans Frontieres (Belgium, Holland and Spain) and Oxfam
(UK). ECHO redeployed 500,000 euro in funding still available from last
year to top up the 1 million euro announced last week. Total aid now
stands at 1.5 million euro.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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