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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 01-06-26
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
Midday Express 26/06/2001
[01] Margot Wallström welcomes EU Council's approval of Candidate Countries
participation in the European Environment Agency
European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström today welcomed the EU
Council's approval of the thirteen bilateral agreements concluded with each
one of the candidate countries for their participation in the European
Environment Agency (EEA). She said : "This EEA is the first European body
that opens to the Candidate Countries already before their accession. It
will give us a better knowledge of the state of the environment in the
whole of Europe and the Agency can also assist the Candidate Countries in
implementing the EU environmental laws". The candidate countries will enter
the EEA as they complete their own national ratification procedures during
2001. To date Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta and the Slovak Republic have
ratified these Agreements. Community assistance is foreseen for to support
the participation fees these countries will have to pay to the Agency
during the first three years of their participation in it. Upon entry in
the Union these countries will continue their participation in the Agency
as full Member States and the EU budget will cover the costs for their
participation in the EEA from that point on.
[02] Capital adequacy : Commission welcomes extended timetable for revision
of Basel Capital Accord
The European Commission has welcomed an announcement from the Basel
Committee on Banking Supervision that, following responses to its proposals
to revise the 1998 Capital Accord (announced January 2001 see IP/01/60), it
will extend its timetable for revision and implementation of the new Accord
to 2005, with an additional round of consultation in early 2002. The
Commission has received a large number of responses to its own consultative
paper on a new capital adequacy framework for banks and investment firms
(see IP/01/160), also launched January 2001, which was designed to be
considered in parallel with that of the Basel Committee. It is currently
performing a thorough review of all comments received. The Commission
remains committed to adopting a proposal for amending the EU framework
shortly after the finalisation of the new Capital Accord by the Basel
Committee (due during 2002) and believes that, in light of the Committee's
extended timetable for consultation, 2005 represents a realistic date for
implementation of the new Accord.
[03] Commission calls for talks with Liberia over human rights and
corruption concerns
The European Commission is calling for the opening of consultations with
Liberia in the light of the worsening situation in the areas of human
rights, democratic principles, the rule of law and corruption. A
Communication adopted today will be submitted for decision to EU Member
States in the Council of Ministers. The Commission is seeking an in-depth
dialogue with the Liberian authorities to discuss measures that need to be
taken to remedy the situation. The Commission's proposal is based on
articles 96 and 97 of the Cotonou Agreement. This is the first time that
the Commission has proposed using article 97, an innovation of the Cotonou
Agreement, as the basis for opening consultations. Article 97 is invoked in
serious cases of corruption.
[04] La Commission mobilise 7 millions d'euros d'aide humanitaire pour
l'Erythrée
La Commission européenne a adopté un plan d'intervention pour 2001 d'un
montant de 7 millions d'euros en faveur de l'Erythrée. Cette décision
permettra d'assurer la continuité de l'aide humanitaire aux victimes de la
guerre et de la sécheresse. Gérée par l'Office d'aide humanitaire (ECHO),
cette décision intervient principalement dans les domaines de la santé et
de la fourniture d'eau potable et des abris.
[05] EU gives euro 1.15 million in humanitarian aid following the
earthquake in Peru
The European Commission, through its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), has
moved quickly in response to the earthquake which struck southern Peru on
23 June. In the first instance, a decision to allocate humanitarian aid
worth euro 1.15 million was taken on Monday 25 June under the "primary
emergency aid" procedure to help meet the urgent needs of the victims. The
funds will be used to provide essential relief items, food aid, temporary
shelter, medical support, water and sanitation. This may be followed up by
further decisions, depending on the scale of needs identified and once a
more full assessment has been undertaken.
[06] Anna Diamantopoulou meets Edmund Stoiber and Roland Koch
Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner in charge of Employment and
Social Affairs, will reassure Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber and
Hesse premier Roland Koch today in Germany that regions and local
authorities have a key role to play in the success of EU coordination
strategies for employment, combating poverty and social exclusion and in
the structural funds. Responding to fears, most recently expressed in a
Bundesrat (upper house of the regions) resolution of 1 June, that EU
processes such as coordination on fighting poverty, overlap with powers of
the German Länder, Mrs Diamantopoulou will make clear in Wiesbaden and
Munich that the EU is responsible for helping Member States to identify
common aims and best practice. However, she will add, the strategies stand
or fall by the work of the Länder and local authorities in choosing how to
meet common objectives. She will point forward to the White Paper on
governance (how best to ensure participation of all interested parties in
decision-making) to be tabled shortly by the Commission. On enlargement and
free movement of workers, Anna Diamantopoulou will call for careful
analysis of the situation in individual EU border regions prior to adoption
of a Commission policy paper on helping frontier zones announced in its
enlargement strategy paper of 8 November 2000.
[07] Le programme "Euro-Facile" aux régions ultra-périphériques
Des politiciens des régions ultra-périphériques de l'Union européenne (RUP)
se rencontrent à Bruxelles le 27 juin pour discuter les résultats des
premiers projets du programme "Euro-Facile" de la Commission européenne.
Les journalistes sont invités à participer à la conférence. L'UE compte
sept RUP : Açores, Iles Canaries, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Madère, Martinique,
Réunion. Les populations défavorisées des RUP, à l'instar de celles des
régions continentales, connaîtront lors du passage à l'euro des difficultés
aggravées par les handicaps structurels de ces régions. Mais, plus que les
régions métropolitaines, les RUP sont confrontées à de faibles niveaux de
revenus et des taux de chômage près de trois fois plus élevés que la
moyenne européenne, touchant en grande majorité les jeunes, des taux
d'analphabétisme importants, une population vieillissante et peu
familiarisée aux manipulations bancaires informatisées. Le programme de la
conférence est disponible aux bureaux Brey 6/94 et 6/236.
[08] La Commission tient une conférence sur une Europe élargie pour les
chercheurs
"Mobilité, Excellence, Elargissement" sont les trois mots clés de
l'importante conférence organisée par la Commission européenne les 27 et 28
juin au bâtiment Charlemagne à Bruxelles. La conférence est une initiative
conjointe de Romano Prodi, Président de la Commission, et de Philippe
Busquin, Commissaire à la Recherche. Trois autres Commissaires
participeront aux discussions, à savoir Anna Diamantopoulou (Emploi et
Affaires sociales), António Vitorino (Justice et Affaires intérieures) et
Viviane Reding (Education et Culture). L'objectif est de proposer une
discussion large et ouverte sur les défis rencontrés par les chercheurs
dans une Europe élargie, en particulier les moyens pour lever les obstacles
à leur mobilité et promouvoir un développement dynamique et équilibré de
l'excellence scientifique.
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Note sur la préparation du Conseil Télécommunications
Note sur la préparation du Conseil Transports
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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