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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 02-10-10Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>CONTENTS / CONTENU
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[01] Towards the enlarged Union : Commission recommends conclusion of negotiations with ten candidate countriesThe European Commission has recommended that the negotiations on accession to the European Union should be concluded by the end of this year with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia. The Commission considers that these countries will be ready for membership from the beginning of 2004. The recommendations are based on a rigorous and fair assessment of the state of preparedness of each candidate country. Preparations of the ten countries for membership will continue and will be strictly monitored by the Commission. As for Bulgaria and Romania, the Commission will strongly support these two countries in achieving their objective to join in 2007. Regarding Turkey, the Commission recommends that the EU should enhance its support for Turkey's pre-accession preparations and provide additional resources for this purpose. The findings and recommendations of the regular reports and the strategy paper adopted yesterday by the Commission will be examined by the European Council meeting in Brussels on 24-25 October.[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles[02] Commission approves aid package for victims of the floods in GermanyThe European Commission has approved four aid schemes aimed at compensating victims in the agricultural and industrial sector for the damage caused by the recent floods in Germany. By demonstrating its determination to support and to process with maximum urgency the measures undertaken to the aid of the victims in Germany, the Commission wishes to express its solidarity with the citizens affected by this natural disaster.[03] Second estimation for the second quarter of 2002 : euro-zone and EU15 GDP up by 0.4% ; +0.7% and +0.8% respectively compared to second quarter of 2001Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.4% in both the euro-zone and EU15 during the second quarter of 2002, according to estimates out today from Eurostat. These results follow an increase of 0.4% in the euro-zone and 0.3% in the EU15 in the first quarter of 2002. In comparison with the second quarter of 2001, GDP grew by 0.7% in the euro-zone and by 0.8% in the EU15, after increases of 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively, in the previous quarter.[04] Indicator-based forecast for euro area GDP for 3rd and 4th quarter of 2002The indicator-based model for quarterly GDP growth for the euro area, developed by the DG ECFIN, forecasts for the third quarter of 2002 a range of 0.2% to 0.5% for growth in GDP vis-à-vis the previous quarter. This is a slight downward revision compared to the forecast released on 6 September 2002. For the fourth quarter of 2002, quarter on quarter growth is forecast to be in the same range. The economic explanations for these revisions lie in the deterioration of household spending and foreign demand in the latest months, which are captured in the model for Q3 by car sales (which declined this Summer) and for Q4 by the US ISM index (which dropped in September under the 50% threshold, separating expansion from contraction in the manufacturing sector). Full document available on: http://europa.eu.int/comm/economy_finance/indicators/euroareagdp_en.htm[05] La Commission met en place un groupe de haut niveau pour les piles à d'hydrogène et à combustibleUn nouveau groupe consultatif de haut niveau (GHN) pour les piles à hydrogène et à combustible a été mis en place aujourd'hui à Bruxelles par le président de la Commission européenne, M. Romano Prodi, la vice- présidente et commissaire à l'énergie et au transport, Mme Loyola de Palacio, et le commissaire à la recherche, M. Philippe Busquin. Ce groupe comprend des représentants de haut niveau des principales entreprises du secteur de l'automobile et de l'énergie, des services publics, des instituts de recherche et des compagnies de transport ainsi que des responsables politiques. Leur rôle consiste à évaluer les avantages potentiels de l'utilisation des piles à hydrogène et à combustible dans les transports, la production d'énergie et beaucoup d'autres secteurs au sein de l'UE et à aider à préparer le terrain pour une action communautaire plus focalisée dans ce domaine. Des résultats préliminaires sont attendus pour la mi-2003 : un "rapport de prospective" présentera un plan de recherche sur les piles à hydrogène et à combustible et des initiatives de déploiement et de commercialisation qui tiendront compte de questions telles que l'innovation, le marketing, la distribution et l'infrastructure, la sécurité, les partenariats public/privé et les investissements dans le secteur de l'hydrogène.[06] Le secteur de la biotechnologie a besoin que le droit communautaire des brevets soit correctement appliqué, selon un rapport de la CommissionTous les Etats membres doivent pleinement et rapidement mettre en œuvre la directive de 1998 relative à la protection juridique des inventions biotechnologiques (directive 98/44, voir MEMO/00/39), sinon l'Europe se retrouvera à la traîne de ses concurrents dans ce secteur vital, détruisant tous ses efforts pour devenir l'économie la plus compétitive du monde. Telle est la principale conclusion du premier rapport de la Commission européenne sur la mise en œuvre de cette directive. Ce rapport traite également des dispositions essentielles de la directive, comme la possibilité de breveter des plantes et des animaux et les brevets concernant des éléments isolés du corps humain ou produits d'une autre manière, y compris des cellules souches. La Commission établira un groupe d'experts en économie, droit et sciences naturelles pour étudier les sujets de controverse liés aux brevets en matière de biotechnologie et contribuer à la rédaction des rapports annuels ultérieurs. Le présent rapport s'inscrit dans le prolongement de la communication de la Commission du 23 janvier 2002 (voir IP/02/122) intitulée "Sciences du vivant et biotechnologie - une stratégie pour l'Europe" qui vise à promouvoir la biotechnologie au sein d'un cadre réglementaire souple et à garantir la cohérence des politiques, des secteurs et des parties prenantes dans la biotechnologie.[07] Financial Markets : Inter-institutional Monitoring Group for securities markets meets for the first timeThe European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission have welcomed the first meeting of the Inter-institutional Monitoring Group for securities markets on 7 October. The group is composed of six independent experts, two nominated by each institution. It has a mandate to assess the progress made on implementing the "Lamfalussy process" (see IP/02/195) which aims to create a more efficient system for the EU institutions to prepare, adopt and implement new legislation to integrate securities markets. The group is expected to report results twice a year, with its first report in Spring 2003.[08] Ambitious urban transport policies : launch of the CIVITAS ForumThe European Commission is launching today the CIVITAS Forum, a platform for all European cities committed to the introduction of ambitious urban transport policies and new technologies. "The Commission supports and congratulates the public representatives of the first 19 cities that have signed the CIVITAS Forum Declaration this morning. I am happy to announce that we intend to launch a new CIVITAS call in 2003 under the 6th RTD Framework Programme", said Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President responsible for energy and transport.[09] La Commission préconise une participation accrue des PME au processus européen de normalisationLors de la réunion d'experts du monde des entreprises et d'organismes de normalisation qui s'est tenue aujourd'hui à Lisbonne sur le thème "Normalisation européenne: opportunité ou menace pour les PME?", Erkki Liikanen, commissaire européen chargé des entreprises, a plaidé pour un renforcement du partenariat entre acteurs concernés afin de stimuler l'esprit d'entreprise ; il préconise pour cela d'aider les PME à utiliser les normes européennes pour se forger des avantages concurrentiels. M. Liikanen a profité de la réunion pour annoncer une action de coopération avec des associations de PME européennes en vue d'améliorer leur participation au processus d'élaboration des normes.[10] Frits Bolkestein and Harvey L. Pitt met in BrusselsFrits Bolkestein, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, and Harvey L. Pitt, Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), held a constructive and fruitful meeting in Brussels on Wednesday 9th October. The meeting marked the continuation of discussions begun last Spring on market access, accounting and corporate governance issues, as well as an initial discussion of the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The meeting was productive in advancing towards transatlantic resolution of these significant issues. There was also agreement about the particular urgency to strengthen the financial markets dialogue announced at the May 2002 EU-US Summit. In this context, they also discussed the SEC's interest in posting an SEC representative in Europe so that the SEC and European counterparts have the capacity for more regular contacts.[11] Further liberalisation of agricultural trade with RomaniaIn the framework of the "double profit" agreements between the EU and candidate countries, the European Commission today adopted a proposal for an additional protocol to the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part and Romania, of the other part. This protocol which consolidates all existing agricultural trade preferences between the Parties includes further additional liberalisation of agricultural trade with Romania under the "double profit" arrangement due to take effect from 1 January 2003. The agreement, which foresees an increase in preferential agricultural trade between the EU and Romania of the order of €200 million, involves the reciprocal complete liberalisation of trade in a range of products including sheep meat, molasses, fruit and vegetables and fruit juices. The deal also incorporates improvements to existing concessions and addresses new duty-free tariff quotas in the cereals and beef sectors. Romania's exports to the EU of live cattle will benefit from reduced tariff treatment and the EU will be granted new duty-free access to the Romanian market for its rice exports. The substantial tariff quotas on beef meat, wheat, maize and malt have been granted in parallel with a commitment from the parties to remove export subsidies for the sectors concerned. The draft agreement must now be adopted by the Council and Romania and be signed by both sides with a view to entering into force from 1 January 2003. Commenting on the proposal, Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler said : "Facilitating mutual farm trade before EU accession is part of the EU's strategy to prepare both sides for the EU accession and the single market".[12] Autre matériel diffuséStatement on inspections at producers of rubber chemicalsCommission statement on inspections in the bitumen sector Discours de M. Prodi : "Dernières phases de l'élargissement" au Parlement européen (09/10) Speech by Gunter Verheugen : "Strategy paper and progress reports" at the European Parliament (09/10) Discours de M. Lamy au Premier Forum des Parlementaires Africains pour le Nouveau Partenariat pour l'Afrique (09/10, Cotonou) Speech by Erkki Liikanen : "India-EU: trade and investment strategies" at the 3rd India-EU Business Summit (09/10, Copenhague) Speech by Erkki Liikanen : "India-EU business relations challenges and opportunities" at the 3rd India-EU Business Summit (09/10, Copenhague) Speech by Chris Patten on Irak at the European Parliament plenary session (09/10) Speech by Frits Bolkestein : "A single capital market in Europe: challenges for global companies" à la conférence organisée par l'Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Speech by Loyola de Palacio : "New and original ways for Hydrogen to reach the market" at the High Level Group for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Speech by Philippe Busquin : "Hydrogen and fuel cells the bridge to sustainable energy?" at the High Level Group for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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