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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-06-03
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-Parole 03/06/1999b
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 2 juin - Outcome of Commission meeting of
2 June
[01] Commission decision on dioxin contaminated poultry and poultry
products
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] La Commission autorise General Electric à acquérir les turbines à gaz
à haut rendement de Alstom
[03] Commission authorises ABB and Alstom to enter into a joint venture on
power generation equipment
[04] La Commission autorise l'acquisition par Solvay des activités PVC et
PVDC de BASF
[05] US cuts EU wheat gluten import quota
[06] Banking supervision : Mario Monti welcomes launch of review of Basle
Capital Accord
[07] Tortue de la Méditerranée : la Commission poursuit la Grèce pour non-
respect de la législation de l'UE en matière de conservation de la nature
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 2 juin - Outcome of Commission meeting of
2 June
(voir aussi see also Midday Express of 02/06)
[01] Commission decision on dioxin contaminated poultry and poultry
products
Following the favourable opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee the
European Commission decided yesterday on the application of the safeguard
clause to ensure that all contaminated or potentially contaminated products
are excluded from the market. The decision obliges Member States to ensure
the withdrawal and destruction of any poultry or egg products or food
products containing these products from the market if these products may
contain poultry related products which have come from the suspect farms.
For trade purposes the Belgian authorities will have to provide a
certificate to the effect that the exported product does not contain
material originating from the restricted farms. In the case of food
products the restriction applies if the product contains more than 2% egg
product. The Belgian authorities are obliged to provide all information
necessary to facilitate the tracing of exported products which must then be
destroyed. Dioxin monitoring plans must be put in place in Belgium and
those Member States who have imported contaminated products.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] La Commission autorise General Electric à acquérir les turbines à gaz
à haut rendement de Alstom
La Commission européenne a donné son feu vert à l'acquisition par General
Electric Company (GE) (USA) des activités relatives aux turbines à gaz à
haut rendement d'Alstom France SA (Alstom), qu'Alstom avait développées en
utilisant la technologie de GE en vertu d'un accord de licence. GE est
l'une des quatre sociétés dans le monde qui disposent d'une technologie
pour les turbines à gaz couverte par des droits de propriété industrielle.
Les autres sont ABB (Suisse/Suède), Siemens (Allemagne)/Westinghouse et
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) du Japon. D'autres sociétés fabriquent
des turbines à gaz à haut rendement sous licence. Etant donné la présence
de ces autres acteurs sur le marché européen, la Commission est arrivée à
la conclusion que cette opération ne mènera pas à la création ou au
renforcement d'une position dominante.
[03] Commission authorises ABB and Alstom to enter into a joint venture on
power generation equipment
The European Commission has decided not to oppose the creation of a joint
venture by which Alstom (France) and ABB Handels- und Verwaltungs AG,
belonging to the Swiss-Swedish ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd. Group (ABB)
create a joint venture on power generation equipment, ABB Alstom Power NV
(JV). Alstom and ABB will contribute their worldwide activities on gas,
steam and hydro turbines, hydro generators, heat recovery steam generators,
boilers, environmental control products and district heating to the JV.
Although this operation leads to the elimination of an important competitor,
the Commission has concluded that no dominant position is created given the
fact that large players such as Siemens (Germany), General Electric (GE)
(US), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) (Japan), Ansaldo (Italy) and also
smaller competitors remain active on these markets. However, given the
consolidation that has taken place in this industry in recent years, any
further consolidation is likely to be scrutinised very carefully by the
Commission.
[04] La Commission autorise l'acquisition par Solvay des activités PVC et
PVDC de BASF
La Commission européenne a donné son feu vert à la concentration par
laquelle le groupe industriel belge Solvay SA acquiert le contrôle des
activités de production et distribution de polychlorure de vinyl (PVC) et
de polyvinylidène (PVDC) du groupe chimique allemand BASF Aktiengesellschaft.
Bien que l'opération accentue le degré de concentration dans ce secteur, la
Commission a conclu que la fusion ne créera pas de position dominante étant
donné la forte présence des concurrents existants sur le marché.
[05] US cuts EU wheat gluten import quota
In a highly discriminatory move, the United States (US) acted without
warning on Friday 28 May 1999 to cut the European Union (EU) quota for
wheat gluten imports. The cut of over 5,000 tonnes for the trading year 1
June 1999-31 May 2000 represents about 20% of the EU's already diminished
share of the US market. Imports from other countries, notably Australia and
Canada, are not affected by the move which targets only the EU trade. The
US action is based on the fact that the quota allocated to the EU for the
previous year (1998/99) was overshot by 5,204 tonnes. However, the European
Commission strenuously objects to the action taken since the overshoot was
largely due to the failure of US Customs to record declared imports against
the EU quota. Only US Customs had the complete picture of how much wheat
gluten had been imported, yet they were posting misleading data on their
traders' internet site about the room for further imports under quota. When
they realised their error, the extra amounts were added to the quotas,
showing the overshoot for the EU. Now the EU trade is being penalised for
what is in effect an omission of the US authorities. The EU is at present
challenging US limitations on US wheat gluten imports before the World
Trade Organisation.
[06] Banking supervision : Mario Monti welcomes launch of review of Basle
Capital Accord
European Commissioner for Financial Services, Mario Monti, has welcomed the
publication today in London by the Basle Committee on Banking Supervision
of a consultative paper on the Review of the Basle Capital Accord. "The
Commission shares the need for a review of capital standards", commented Mr
Monti. "Progress in the framework of the Basle Committee will complement
work already underway by the Commission, in collaboration with European
Union (EU) banking regulators and supervisors in the Banking Advisory
Committee, on a review of the present EU rules on capital standards, namely
the Directives on the Solvency Ratio and Own Funds. The Commission is due
to issue its own consultation paper on the review of regulatory capital
within the EU in the autumn. The Commission's work has been lent new
political impetus by the Action Plan on Financial Services, which was
presented by the Commission on 11 May, endorsed by Ecofin ministers on 25
May and is under consideration by the European Council in Cologne. The
Action Plan emphasises the need to maintain the highest standards of
prudential regulation for EU financial institutions and foresees the
presentation by the Commission in spring 2000 of new draft EU legislation
on bank capital requirements."
[07] Tortue de la Méditerranée : la Commission poursuit la Grèce pour non-
respect de la législation de l'UE en matière de conservation de la nature
La Commission européenne a décidé, conformément à la Directive "habitats"
(Directive 92/43/CEE du Conseil concernant la conservation des habitats
naturels ainsi que de la faune et de la flore sauvages) d'adresser à la
Grèce un avis motivé pour protection insuffisante de la tortue Caretta
caretta, espèce rare vivant dans la Méditerranée.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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