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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 01-09-25
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 25/09/2001
[01] Attentats et transport aérien : la Commission mène plusieurs actions
urgentes
Le transport aérien européen a été touché de plein fouet par les attentats
de New York et Washington du 11 septembre dernier. Aussitôt, l'Union
européenne s'est mobilisée pour résoudre les questions les plus urgentes,
mais aussi adapter les règles en vigueur à la nouvelle situation. Les
premières mesures visent à accroître la sûreté du transport aérien au sein
de l'UE et au niveau international. En outre, en collaboration avec les
compagnies aériennes, la Commission européenne fera le bilan de l'impact
économique sur le transport aérien et envisagera toutes les possibilités
pour permettre leur adaptation, dans le respect des règles de concurrence.
[02] Afghan refugee crisis : Commission prepares to send further euro 4
million in aid
The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) is moving quickly
to pledge humanitarian aid for victims of the crisis in Afghanistan.
Responding to the worsening humanitarian situation, the Commission is
launching an emergency decision for euro 4 million in immediate aid. The
funding will be directed through two UN agencies which are ECHO's partners
in the field - the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and
the World Food Programme (WFP) - as well as the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC).
[03] EU budget generates major net transfers into Cohesion Countries
The EU budget generates major net financial transfers to the four cohesion
countries - Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Spain. In 2000, these net
transfers accounted for 3.61% of Greek GNP, 1.93% of Portuguese GNP, 1.83%
of Irish GNP and 0.86% of Spanish GNP. To a lesser extent, Finland, Denmark
and Italy also showed positive net balances. In relative terms, Sweden was
the largest net contributor (0.50% of GNP), followed by Germany (0.47%),
the Netherlands (0.44%), Luxembourg (0.35%), Austria (0.27%) and the United
Kingdom (0.25%). Minor net contributors were Belgium and France. "These
figures reflect the redistributive goal of the EU cohesion policy",
declared Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer while she today presented
the report 'Allocation of 2000 EU Operating Expenditure by Member State'.
"However, the benefits derived by Member States from EU policies cannot be
measured in budgetary balances alone. Economic and political integration
are the most important advantages for all EU countries, which cannot be
expressed in budgetary terms", Mrs Schreyer added.
[04] Fonds structurels : La Commission approuve une aide de près de 37
millions d'euros pour le développement de la zone urbaine française de
Grigny / Viry-Chatillon
La Commission européenne a approuvé un programme pour la revitalisation
urbaine de la zone française de Grigny / Viry-Chatillon : le programme
communautaire URBAN. Ce programme va bénéficier d'une contribution de 12,
884 millions d'euros de la part de l'Union européenne. Les autres
contributions en provenance de l'Etat, des collectivités locales et du
secteur privé, s'élèvent à plus de 24 millions d'euros, pour un montant
total d'interventions de près de 37 millions d'euros. Le programme a pour
but de développer les activités économiques et de lutter contre le chômage.
[05] Commission promotes better Internet access for people with
disabilities
The European Commission today adopted a Communication on improving the
accessibility of public web sites. With this Communication, the Commission
is supporting European Institutions and Member States in adopting and
implementing guidelines which enable people with disabilities and older
people to use the Internet more easily.
[06] Commission clears acquisition of sole control over Galileo by Cendant
(both US based)
The European Commission has cleared the acquisition of sole control of US
online travel operations Galileo International Inc. by Cendant Corp, a
travel and residential real estate services company also of the United
States. The Commission did not find any horizontal overlaps between the
companies' activities. It also examined carefully the extent to which
Cendant's car rental business Avis could achieve a dominant position in
Europe by being given preferential access to Galileo's Global Distribution
System through its namesake Computer Reservation System. But the Commission
concluded that there was no such risk of a dominant position by Avis Europe
and, therefore, no reason to accept the undertakings submitted by the
companies.
[07] Philippe Busquin sets up independent advisory body for European
research
Tomorrow, the European Research Advisory Board (EURAB) will meet for the
first time to elect their president and set out their mandate. This new top-
level European body will provide the European institutions with advice on
the Union's research policy. It is made up of senior representatives from
industry and science and will support the creation of the European Research
Area. The members of this advisory body come from the EU Member States and
from the candidate countries for enlargement. EURAB counts 45 members, 20
of which have been proposed by the European Science Foundation (ESF), and
20 proposed by UNICE, the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations
of Europe. Five members have been appointed directly by the European
Commission. Commenting on the creation of the new advisory body, Research
Commissioner Philippe Busquin said : "I am happy that we will be able to
count on the advice of such eminent scientists, both from the public and
from the private sectors. They will help us in meeting our priorities :
bringing science and society closer together and achieving more cooperation
and coordination in European research with the ultimate goal of becoming a
global player in the knowledge society." The press is invited to join
Commissioner Busquin and EURAB members for a buffet lunch on 26 September
at 13h30 in the Centre Albert Borschette, 36 rue Froissart, Brussels.
[08] Des centaines de manifestations pour fêter la Journée européenne des
langues, le 26 septembre 2001
La Journée européenne des langues s'inscrit au cœur de l'Année européenne
des langues 2001, organisée par l'Union européenne et le Conseil de
l'Europe. Elle concerne les langues régionales, minoritaires, migrantes et
les langages des signes, ainsi que les langues officielles et nationales de
l'UE. Des centaines de manifestations vont avoir lieu dans toute l'Europe.
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Romano Prodi : "The challenges ahead for Europe and Asia" at the
Asian Ambassadores meeting (24/09)
Discours de M. Prodi : "Encore quatre-vingt-dix-neuf jours" à la Conférence
sur les paiements en euros dans le marché unique (24/09)
Speech by David Byrne : "Farming in a competitive food chain" at the
Congress of European Agriculture (Belfast)
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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