European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 01-06-21

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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 Service Presse et Communicationb

[I] Résultats de la Commission du 20 juin 2001 - Outcome of Commission meeting of 20 June 2001

[01] Commission confirms need to tackle cross-border investment restrictions and energy market distortions The need to ensure that measures taken by public authorities in the Member States do not restrict, directly or indirectly, investment between Member States in violation of EC Treaty rules on the free movement of capital and the right of establishment, as outlined in its 1997 Communication, was confirmed by the European Commission at its 20th June meeting in Brussels. The Commission also reiterated the need for rapid adoption by the EU's Council of Ministers and the European Parliament of the March 2001 proposals to liberalise fully EU energy markets. The Commission underlined that it will continue to apply vigorously competition and State aid rules. In the event of delay in the adoption of the energy liberalisation Directives creating distortions of competition, the Commission agreed to consider adopting itself Directives or Decisions, on the basis of Article 86 of the EC Treaty, notably its third paragraph. Article 86 also guarantees that the application of competition rules does not prevent operators from fulfilling their public service obligations.

[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles

[02] EU and China hail finalisation of bilateral deal clearing the way for China's accession to the WTO Following two days of negotiations in Brussels, European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and his Chinese counterpart, Trade Minister Shi Guangsheng, announced yesterday (20 June) that the outstanding bilateral issues between the EU and China with a view to China's accession to the WTO have now been resolved. Welcoming the consensus, Commissioner Lamy said : "The political will shared by both the EU and China to clear the obstacles to China's WTO accession has borne fruit. The way is now clear for China to join the WTO in the coming months. This is good news for China, for the EU and for the world's multilateral trading system. We will now work together in Geneva to rapidly finalise agreement in the WTO."

[03] Propositions de la Commission en matière de lutte contre la résistance antimicrobienne La Commission européenne a adopté une communication exposant une stratégie communautaire de lutte contre la menace que constitue la résistance antimicrobienne pour la santé humaine, la santé animale et dans le domaine phytosanitaire. Elle a également adopté une proposition de recommandation du Conseil sur l'utilisation prudente des agents antimicrobiens en médecine humaine. La recommandation encourage les gouvernements nationaux à prendre des mesures visant à contenir la propagation de la résistance antimicrobienne en encourageant une utilisation plus prudente de ces agents. Ces mesures incluent l'information et la sensibilisation du grand public, l'adoption de l'approche prudente d'une délivrance "sur ordonnance uniquement" et une meilleure surveillance de la consommation des agents antimicrobiens. La proposition recommandée représente la première tentative, au niveau communautaire, d'intervenir dans le domaine de la médecine humaine et complète les différentes mesures en vigueur concernant les utilisations vétérinaires et phytosanitaires des médicaments antimicrobiens. La stratégie offre une vue d'ensemble des actions en cours en matière de surveillance, de prévention, de recherche et de développement de produits ainsi qu'en matière de coopération internationale. Les conclusions du Conseil européen de Göteborg ont souligné une nouvelle fois qu'il fallait intervenir pour régler ce problème.

[04] Fonds structurels : visite de Michel Barnier en Guyane (France) du 22 au 24 juin 2001 Michel Barnier, Commissaire européen responsable de la politique régionale, se rendra du 22 au 24 juin prochains en Guyane. A Matoury, le 22 juin, M. Barnier sera reçu par le Président du Conseil Régional Antoine Karam et il inaugurera le complexe omnisports Georges Theolade cofinancé par le FEDER Fonds Européen de Développement Régional. Le 23 juin, il visitera des projets financés par l'Union européenne lors d'une visite à Camopi, commune de l'intérieur, à la frontière avec le Brésil. Il rencontrera des élus de la région et les responsables de la communauté scientifique en Guyane. Le 24, il sera reçu à Saint Laurent du Maroni par le député-maire Léon Bertrand, visitera des projets financés par l'UE et participera à un débat avec les jeunes sur l'avenir de l'Union.

[05] Franz Fischler on food quality and agriculture : "Food safety is a must" Speaking at a public hearing in the European Parliament on "Quality Production and the Common Agriculture Policy", Franz Fischler, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, said that two crises within a short time have shaken the citizen's trust in agriculture. "I do hope that the current broad public attention is more than a media hype lasting as long as television talk-shows can boost their quota with discussions on how everything should be done radically different, no matter why and how. I am afraid I have to tell you that there will never be an egg without a hen and no meat without a slaughterhouse", he said. According to Mr Fischler quality has two basic aspects : a non-negotiable, and a relative aspect. The non-negotiable one is food safety as much as certain environmental and animal protection standards. The other one is relative because it relates mainly to the consumer's individual preferences. These aspects at the core of our current discussions how to address these concerns in the CAP. I think that the policy-shift made with the Agenda 2000 is the right basis, and I am committed to continue this way in the future", he said.

[06] Margot Wallström presents future directions for EU Waste Policy at European Waste Forum European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström this morning delivered a keynote speech at the European Waste Forum taking place in Brussels on 21- 22 June (Palais des Congrès). Commissioner Wallström gave her assessment of European waste policy over the last 25 years and presented her thinking on future policy directions. She mentioned reduction of emissions from incinerators and landfills among the successes of EU waste policy. At the same time Mrs Wallström underlined that the EU has still not managed to de- couple the growth of waste from economic growth. The Commissioner defended the waste management "hierarchy" prevailing in EU waste policy today (waste prevention, reuse, recycling and energy recovery), which she believes should continue to guide EU policy and efforts to reduce the environmental impact of waste in the future. Explaining the Commission's plans for sustainable resource use (a thematic strategy in the 6th Environmental Action Programme), Mrs Wallström stressed the importance of integrating waste policy into a life-cycle approach to products. "The environmental impacts of waste are just one element among impacts arising from resource extraction, manufacturing, transport, trading and use of products. We need clear targets that span all these dimensions of resource use", she said. The Commissioner questioned the sustainability of some of the waste transportation taking place in Europe today, and presented her thoughts on the potential for a policy approach based on secondary materials (as opposed to a product by product approach). Waste generation in the EU amounts to around 1,300 million tonnes a year, and total waste generation increased by around 15% in Europe beween 1995 and 1998. Waste management is today the biggest environmental market with a volume of over euro 44 billion (0.6-0.7% of Community GDP).

[07] Autre matériel diffusé Humanitarian aid office (ECHO) response to the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Speech by Chris Patten at the 'First World Congress Against the Death Penalty' (Council of Europe, Strasbourg)

MIDDAY EXPRESS

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