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