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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-02-21
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] European health card for 1 June 2004
[02] Commission clears acquisition of Rational by IBM
[03] En raison de préoccupations relatives au contrôle de la fièvre
aphteuse, l'UE interdit les importations de bœuf du Paraguay
[04] New measure accredited for Czech Sapard programme
[05] Trade and environment : EU welcomes WTO move to allow UN Environment
Programme and Multilateral Environment Agreements to attend negotiations
[06] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 21/02/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 21/02/2003
[01] European health card for 1 June 2004
The European Commission has proposed 1 June 2004 as the launch date of the
common European health insurance card. The single, personalised card is
designed to replace all current paper forms needed for health treatment
which is necessary during a temporary stay in another Member State. The new
card will make life easier for EU citizens, care providers (doctors,
hospitals) and social security institutions. It will first replace the
existing 'E111' form for short stays such as holidays and then, in a second
phase, all the other forms used for temporary stays employees posted to
another country (E128), international road transport (E110), study (E128)
and job seekers (E119). In a third phase, it will take the form of an
electronic 'smart' card, readable by computer. The card will simplify
procedures but not change EU citizens' rights and obligations. The card
will, for example, allow patients who have to pay for their health care
abroad to be reimboursed more quickly by their own social security system.
However, the card will offer more advantages as EU rules gradually open up
more possibilities for EU citizens to be treated while on a temporary stay
in another Member State. One such possibility, already agreed at political
level between the Member States, is the right to all necessary care in the
host Member State, not only emergency care. The Commission has adopted
these proposals at the request of the Barcelona Spring Summit of March 2002,
which asked the Commission to table, before the Brussels Spring Summit of
21 March this year, the necessary details for phasing in of a European
health insurance card.
[02] Commission clears acquisition of Rational by IBM
The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition by US company
IBM Co of full control of Rational software Co (US). The deal will not
significantly alter the current competitive structure of the related
markets.
[03] En raison de préoccupations relatives au contrôle de la fièvre
aphteuse, l'UE interdit les importations de bœuf du Paraguay
Suite à une proposition de la Commission, les Etats membres ont approuvé le
20 février l'interdiction de toutes les importations de viande bovine
fraîche du Paraguay, en raison de problèmes graves liés aux mesures de
contrôle et de supervision de la fièvre aphteuse dans ce pays. Cette
décision a été approuvée par le Comité permanent de la chaîne alimentaire
et de la santé animale.
[04] New measure accredited for Czech Sapard programme
A decision to confer the management of Sapard aid to the Czech authorities
for the measure "Agricultural production methods designed to protect the
environment and maintain the countryside", was adopted by the European
Commission. The Czech Republic is now able to start implementing this
measure, for which €3,747,996 is available under the Czech Sapard
programme. This accounts for about 2.3% of the total Sapard funds for the
programming period (2000-2006) available for the Czech Republic. A first
decision to confer the management of Sapard aid to the Czech Republic was
taken by the European Commission on 15 April 2002 (see IP/02/565). This
decision recognised the Czech Ministry of Finance, National Fund, as the
national agency responsible for performing financial functions within the
framework of the implementation of the Czech Sapard programme. It also
conferred the management of aid for seven other measures under the Czech
Sapard scheme.
[05] Trade and environment : EU welcomes WTO move to allow UN Environment
Programme and Multilateral Environment Agreements to attend negotiations
On 20 February, the EU warmly welcomed the World Trade Organisation's (WTO)
decision to allow officials from the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) and Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) to attend WTO
negotiations on the environment on an ad hoc basis. European Trade
Commissioner Pascal Lamy said : "The Doha Development Agenda is supposed to
support sustainable development. That is why we must make sure that
organisations with environment expertise such as UNEP and certain MEAs can
be present at these talks. The WTO's decision is also a first step in
responding to expectations raised at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development. We are now encouraged in our efforts and hope that 'ad hoc'
turns into 'permanent' status by the time the WTO ministerial meeting in
Cancun takes place in September."
[06] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Romano Prodi : "The Road to Europe" at the Parliament of the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Skopje, ! embargo 1 pm !)
Speech by Romano Prodi : "Education, tolerance and vision: Europe's way
forward" at the Saints Cyril and Methodius University (Skopje)
Speech by Anna Diamantopoulou at the opening ceremony of Conference on
"Politics for Disabled People" at the launch of the European Year of People
with Disabilities 2003 in Germany (Magdeburg)
Note on the results of the Agriculture Council
Calendrier du 24 février au 1er mars 2003
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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