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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-04-08

Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] Travail de l'Office européen de lutte antifraude un bilan après trois ans d'activité
  • [02] Qualifications professionnelles : la Commission agit pour faire appliquer la loi européenne en France et en Grèce
  • [03] Commission acts against UK, Sweden and Ireland for non-compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment Directive
  • [04] Commission takes legal action against Germany, Spain, Finland and Ireland over Wild Birds and Habitats Directives
  • [05] Customs : Commission reports on implementation of the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS)
  • [06] Pauvreté et exclusion sociale : la part de la population menacée de pauvreté en 1999 se situait entre 9% en Suède et 21% en Grèce et au Portugal - chômage de "longue durée" signifie souvent chômage de "très longue durée"
  • [07] Capital requirements : Commission publishes consultation results
  • [08] Commission report on human embryonic stem cell research provides basis for discussion on ethics
  • [09] Autre matériel diffusé Midday Express 07/04/2003 TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 07/04/2003

  • [01] Travail de l'Office européen de lutte antifraude un bilan après trois ans d'activité

    Un rapport d'évaluation des activités exercées par l'Office européen de lutte antifraude (OLAF), contenant en outre des recommandations quant à la consolidation de son travail, a été adopté par la Commission le mercredi 2 avril. Créé en 1999 par le Conseil et le Parlement européen comme un service de la Commission habilité à agir en toute indépendance pour la conduite d'enquêtes, l'OLAF a représenté une avancée majeure dans la politique européenne de lutte antifraude. L'évaluation reconnaît la nécessité de consolider la structure actuelle et ses méthodes de travail. La question de la future structure de l'OLAF devra être réexaminée à la lumière de la révision du traité et, notamment, l'établissement du procureur européen.

    [02] Qualifications professionnelles : la Commission agit pour faire appliquer la loi européenne en France et en Grèce

    La Commission européenne a décidé de rappeler à la France son obligation d'exécuter un arrêt de la Cour de justice européenne exigeant qu'elle mette en œuvre au niveau national le droit européen concernant l'établissement des avocats. A défaut, la France pourrait se voir infliger une astreinte par la Cour. La Commission a également décidé de demander formellement à la France de transposer en droit national les règles européennes concernant la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles des guides touristiques. Cette demande revêt la forme d'un avis motivé, la deuxième étape de la procédure d'infraction prévue par l'Article 226 du Traité CE. En l'absence d'une réponse satisfaisante de la part des autorités françaises dans les deux mois suivant la réception de l'avis motivé, la Commission peut saisir la Cour. Par ailleurs, la Commission a décidé de saisir la Cour contre la Grèce en ce qui concerne son refus de reconnaître certains diplômes, en particulier les diplômes d'opticien obtenus par ses propres ressortissants sur son territoire, mais auprès d'institutions délivrant en franchise des formations d'autres Etats membres.

    [03] Commission acts against UK, Sweden and Ireland for non-compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment Directive

    The European Commission is pursuing legal action against the United Kingdom, Sweden and Ireland for not complying with EU legislation requiring that prior environmental impact assessments (EIA) be carried out for certain projects. The UK is to be referred to the Court of Justice for failing to carry out an environmental impact assessment for the White City urban development project in London. Sweden has been sent a request to make its legal provisions more complete for the assessment of certain project categories. Ireland has been sent a request to discontinue charging citizens a fee for commenting on the environmental impact of projects. These requests take the form of Reasoned Opinions, the second stage of infringement procedures under Article 226 of the EC Treaty.

    [04] Commission takes legal action against Germany, Spain, Finland and Ireland over Wild Birds and Habitats Directives

    The European Commission has formally requested that Germany complies with a 2001 ruling of the Court of Justice requiring it to provide a complete list of sites for the protection of certain endangered habitat types and the habitats of certain endangered plant and animal species. The request takes the form of a Letter of Formal Notice, under Article 228 of the EC Treaty. The Commission also decided to refer Finland to the Court of Justice over shortcomings in its national rules concerning projects that may impact on sites protected for nature conservation. In addition, the Commission has requested that Finland improve its legislation and practice with regard to safeguards for the breeding and resting places of the Flying Squirrel. This animal is classified as "vulnerable" and in the EU is found only in Finland. Spain has been sent a request with regard to the use of trapping methods that pose a risk to the Iberian Lynx, one of the EU's most threatened species. Spain has also been sent a request with regard to the proposed construction of a power-line across the "Picos de Europa", an important natural site in the region of Castilla y Léon. Ireland has been requested to better regulate the practice of shooting wood pigeon. These requests take the form of Reasoned Opinions under Article 226 of the Treaty. The cases concerned illustrate the continuing challenges of protecting rare or disappearing habitats and species across all parts of the EU.

    [05] Customs : Commission reports on implementation of the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS)

    Twelve EU Member States are on target to meet the deadline of 30th June 2003 set for implementation within the EU of the new computerised customs transit system (NCTS), according to a report from the European Commission. However, Austria, Greece and Luxembourg still have a lot of implementing tasks to complete. Of the countries that are contracting parties to the Convention with the EU on a Common Transit Procedure (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic), Norway, Switzerland and the Czech Republic have implemented or are implementing the system. Poland may have particular difficulties. Other candidate countries for accession to the EU, that are not signatories of the Common Transit Procedure Convention but will have to implement the system by the time of their accession, have presented plans for implementation. The Commission will ask those customs administrations that are not fully operational to introduce ad hoc measures to ensure that transit movements will not be delayed even if the movements end at an office that is not connected to NCTS.

    [06] Pauvreté et exclusion sociale : la part de la population menacée de pauvreté en 1999 se situait entre 9% en Suède et 21% en Grèce et au Portugal - chômage de "longue durée" signifie souvent chômage de "très longue durée"

    Le Conseil européen de Laeken qui s'est tenu en décembre 2001 a approuvé un ensemble de 18 indicateurs statistiques les "indicateurs de Laeken" visant à suivre les progrès dans la lutte contre la pauvreté et l'exclusion sociale. Eurostat publie aujourd'hui un rapport en deux parties1 qui se fonde sur ces 18 indicateurs et permet une approche multidimensionnelle de la pauvreté et de l'exclusion sociale. La première partie comprend les indicateurs monétaires (pauvreté financière), la seconde les indicateurs non monétaires qui couvrent les dimensions emploi, éducation et santé de l'exclusion sociale.

    [07] Capital requirements : Commission publishes consultation results

    Responses to a consultation on a new framework on capital requirements for banks and investment firms (see also IP/02/1693 and IP/02/1041) have been published on the European Commission's Europa website. The consultation exercise aims to help ensure that the future revised EU Directive on capital requirements, due to come into force at the end of 2006 in parallel with the new international Basel Capital Accord (Basel II), is of the highest quality. The responses show continuing strong support for the Commission's approach together with a range of suggestions for improving the proposals. Important contributions were received from the financial services sector, other sectors including small and medium size businesses and national authorities. The Commission's services will now consider the results of the consultation before issuing a feedback statement as part of its third Consultation Paper in June.

    [08] Commission report on human embryonic stem cell research provides basis for discussion on ethics

    The European Commission released today a report on the scientific, ethical, legal and socio-economic issues related to human embryonic stem cell research. The question on how to decide on EU funding for projects involving research with human embryonic stem cells was left open in the decision-making process on the EU's 6th Research Framework Programme (FP6). The Council of Ministers, Parliament and Commission agreed to decide on this issue in the course of 2003 and to debate it at a seminar with experts in the field. The Commission's report examines the potential benefits of human stem cell research and the pros and cons of using stem cells from different sources. It also reviews the current state of legislation in various EU Member States and the governance of human stem cell research under FP6. The report provides a basis for an open and informed debate at the forthcoming inter-institutional seminar on 24 April 2003. The seminar will contribute to defining guidelines for EU-funded stem cell research.

    [09] Autre matériel diffusé

    Speech by Poul Nielson : "A Europe of 25 in a World of 193" at the opening session of the international policy dialogue meeting (Berlin, ! embargo 2 pm !)

    Note sur la préparation du Conseil Agriculture / Pêche


    From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
    © ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996


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