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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-01-27
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 27/01/2000b
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 26 janvier 2000 - Outcome of Commission
meeting of 26 January (voir aussi see also ME of 26/01)
[01] Adapter les institutions pour réussir l'élargissement : avis de la
Commission sur la réforme des institutions de l'UE
[02] La Commission adopte sa proposition de règlement concernant l'accès du
public aux documents du Parlement européen, du Conseil et de la Commission
[03] Commission's product and capital markets report stresses opportunity
for structural economic reform
[04] Anna Diamantopoulou outlines new push for sex equality
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[05] Commission clears joint venture between Freudenberg and Phoenix
[06] Commission authorises acquisition by BellSouth of Vodafone Airtouch's
stake in E-Plus
[07] Actions de promotion en faveur de la viande bovine de qualité
[08] La Commission propose des contre-mesures pour le non-respect de la
part de la Fédération de Russie de l'accord sur le commerce des produits
sidérurgiques
[09] Report on prospects for agricultural markets 1999-2006
[10] Humanitarian aid : news in brief
[11] OECD/EU jobs conference in Helsinki : opening addresses by Paavo
Lipponen, Anna Diamantopoulou and Thorvald Moe
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 26 janvier 2000 - Outcome of Commission
meeting of 26 January (voir aussi see also ME of 26/01)
[01] Adapter les institutions pour réussir l'élargissement : avis de la
Commission sur la réforme des institutions de l'UE
Romano Prodi, président de la Commission européenne, et Michel Barnier,
Commissaire chargé notamment de la conférence intergouvernementale, ont
présenté l'avis de la Commission sur la prochaine révision des traités. Ce
document complète la contribution que la Commission avait adoptée le 10
novembre dernier en vue du Conseil européen d'Helsinki. La Commission se
prononce pour une réforme approfondie de la composition des institutions de
l'Union européenne et du processus de décision, pour le rendre plus
efficace. L'UE doit se préparer à accueillir un grand nombre de nouveaux
Etats membres. La réforme des institutions est un préalable indispensable à
l'élargissement.
[02] La Commission adopte sa proposition de règlement concernant l'accès du
public aux documents du Parlement européen, du Conseil et de la Commission
Les propositions de la Commission européenne visent à assurer au public
l'accès le plus large possible aux documents des institutions européennes,
et se fondent notamment sur une analyse des pratiques dans tous les Etats
membres, ainsi que sur l'expérience acquise depuis 1994 sur base de son
propre code d'accès. Les propositions actuelles représentent une évolution
significative par rapport aux codes existant dans les différentes
institutions : d'une part, les documents entrants seront couverts par les
règles d'accès, alors qu'ils étaient exclus jusqu'à présent. Deuxièmement,
contrairement à la pratique actuelle, les demandeurs faisant appel d'une
décision de refus pourront en principe se voir accorder l'accès au document,
si la Commission ne leur fournit pas de réponse dans les délais requis.
[03] Commission's product and capital markets report stresses opportunity
for structural economic reform
Today's broadly favourable global economic climate offers Europe a golden
opportunity to enhance durable economic growth and employment by raising
its overall competitiveness. To do that, according to a report adopted by
the European Commission, the European Union must intensify economic reforms
designed to develop dynamic, integrated, efficient markets supportive of
entrepreneurship and innovation, whilst fully respecting Member States'
social goals. The report uses quantitative assessments of the performance
of European product and capital markets to identify where regulatory and
structural reforms are most urgent, and outlines a certain number of
explicit policy prescriptions designed to reduce market fragmentation.
[04] Anna Diamantopoulou outlines new push for sex equality
European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Anna
Diamantopoulou, has outlined plans to intensify the European Union's gender
equality policy and boost participation of women in the workforce and
political life. The outline marks a new approach to sex equality in the EU.
It seeks notably to build equality into other policy areas and to cement
this by setting targets and measuring progress achieved. Plans for a new
programme, to start next year, will now be discussed with the European
Parliament, NGOs and other interested parties before a formal proposal is
put to the Council for approval.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[05] Commission clears joint venture between Freudenberg and Phoenix
The European Commission has approved the creation of a joint venture
between Freudenberg KG&Co (Germany) and Phoenix AG (Germany). Freudenberg
and Phoenix will join their activities in the sector of anti-vibrating
device systems. The Commission found that the operation raises no
competition concern.
[06] Commission authorises acquisition by BellSouth of Vodafone Airtouch's
stake in E-Plus
The European Commission has authorised the acquisition by the US
telecommunications operator BellSouth of Vodafone Airtouch's stake in the
German mobile operator, E-Plus. When the Commission approved the merger of
Vodafone with Airtouch, Vodafone gave an undertaking to the Commission to
dispose of its stake in E-Plus. BellSouth, one of the shareholders in E-
Plus, decided to use its pre-emption rights under the shareholders'
agreement and purchase this stake from Vodafone. The acquisition by
BellSouth does not give rise to any addition of market shares and the
acquisition will not lead to any overlaps on the market for mobile
telephony in Germany since BellSouth is not active on this market except
for its participation in E-Plus.
[07] Actions de promotion en faveur de la viande bovine de qualité
La Commission européenne a approuvé 14 programmes d'actions dans huit Etats
membres (Allemagne, Autriche, Belgique, France, Italie, Irlande, Pays-Bas
et Royaume-Uni) pour la promotion et la commercialisation de la viande
bovine de qualité au titre de la campagne 1999/2000. Le montant total de
ces mesures de promotion est de 12 millions d'euros dont 60% (7,2 millions
d'euros) sont financés par la Commission.
[08] La Commission propose des contre-mesures pour le non-respect de la
part de la Fédération de Russie de l'accord sur le commerce des produits
sidérurgiques
La Commission européenne a adopté un projet de décision CECA visant à
réduire de 20% pour l'année 2000 les limites quantitatives relatives aux
importations de certains produits sidérurgiques en provenance de la
Fédération russe. Ce projet de décision a été transmis au Conseil des
Ministres pour avis conforme, ainsi qu'au comité consultatif CECA.
[09] Report on prospects for agricultural markets 1999-2006
The Directorate-General for Agriculture of the European Commission has
published an overview of market trends and long-term projections of supply
and demand for the main agricultural commodities. This publication provides
a picture of the likely developments of agricultural markets up to 2006,
based on a certain number of assumptions and on the statistical information
available in November 1999. The report contains three chapters. The first
chapter centres on the market prospects by the year 2006 within the
European Union and covers the following products : cereals, oilseeds, meat,
milk and the main dairy products. Chapter II provides a description of the
likely prospects of agricultural markets in the ten Central and Eastern
European countries, which are candidates for accession to the EU. Finally,
a presentation of the medium and long-term prospects of agricultural world
markets, established by different international organisations and
institutes, is given in chapter III. The full text and a summary of the
report are available at the Commission's Agricultural Directorate (DG AGRI)
home page on internet under the following address : http://europa.eu.int/comm/
dg06/publi/index_fr.htm
[10] Humanitarian aid : news in brief
The European Commission has made available funding for humanitarian aid
projects in the following countries : India (euro 5.2 million), Venezuela
(euro 3.2 million), Indonesia (euro 3 million), North Korea (euro 800,000),
Russia (euro 2 million), Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine (euro 1.9 million).
The aid, channelled via the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO),
will enable United Nations organisations, the Red Cross and non-
governmental organisations to carry out projects over the next three to six
months.
[11] OECD/EU jobs conference in Helsinki : opening addresses by Paavo
Lipponen, Anna Diamantopoulou and Thorvald Moe
The ministries of labour and finance of Finland, with the support of the
OECD and the European Commission, host a two-day international conference
on jobs in Helsinki today and tomorrow 27 and 28 January. Opening addresses
will be given by Paavo Lipponen, Prime Minister of Finland, Anna
Diamantopoulou, Commissioner for employment and social affairs, and
Thorvald Moe, Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD. The conference will
test whether OECD and EU employment strategies have delivered more jobs and
cut structural unemployment. The conference, which is expected to attract
120 participants from OECD countries and international organisations, will
focus on four key themes : assessing job strategies ; making work pay ; the
search for active and preventive measures at the margins of the labour
market ; policy conclusions. The OECD Jobs Strategy, launched in 1994,
covered many areas of policy and includes detailed country-specific
recommendations. A report entitled "Implementing the OECD Jobs Strategy -
Assessing Performance and Policy", published in September 1999, took stock
of member countries' experience in implementing this strategy and
highlighted areas for further work. At EU level, Member States have adopted
a common employment strategy based on agreed objectives, annual monitoring
of each country's performance and peer review. The Helsinki Summit of
December 1999 led to the adoption of a joint employment report for 1999, as
well as of employment guidelines for 2000 and - for the first time -
country-specific recommendations based on new provisions in the Amsterdam
Treaty.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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