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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-07-25
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Latest car price report shows that positive impact of the new block
exemption is yet to come
[02] Financial services: Commission to set up expert forum to look at
policies from users' point of view (FIN-USE)
[03] Banking: Commission requests Italy to amend law on excessive interest
rates
[04] Improving food quality and safety: EU to fund 24 new research projects
and networks
[05] La Convention demeure mal connue par l'opinion publique européenne
[06] Electronic Communications: Commission reduces regulation of the
provision of leased lines in the EU
[07] Telecommunications: Five Member States have transposed new regulatory
package into national law on time - Commission to start proceedings against
latecomers
[08] Commission pushes for rapid deployment of location enhanced 112
emergency services
[09] ERIKA I maritime safety legislation enters into force: Commission
takes action against 10 Member States
[10] EU-ACPs: Commission approves €50 million trade assistance Programme
Trade.com
[11] Drought: Further support measures agreed
[12] Commission clears joint acquisition of GDF International by Italcogim
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 25/07/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 25/07/2003
[01] Latest car price report shows that positive impact of the new block
exemption is yet to come
The latest report on car prices released by the European Commission shows
that price differentials for new cars are still substantial, although some
convergence is taking place. The figures available as of 1 May 2003 show
that many European consumers can still make significant savings by buying
their cars in other Member States, and that competition and cross-border
trade have not yet brought about significant price convergence. Pre-tax car
prices are lowest in Denmark, Greece and the Netherlands. Prices in Germany,
the biggest market, and Austria, remain among the highest within the euro
zone.
[02] Financial services: Commission to set up expert forum to look at
policies from users' point of view (FIN-USE)
The European Commission has announced that it is setting up a forum of
twelve experts to improve input into the definition of EU financial
services policy from the perspective of users. The best available experts
will be recruited under a competitive procedure following a call for
applications published in the Official Journal and open until 10 September
2003.
[03] Banking: Commission requests Italy to amend law on excessive interest
rates
The European Commission has decided to issue a formal request to Italy to
amend its law on usury. This law, as amended in December 2000, establishes
that interest rates for long-term loans cannot be higher than the average
yield on national bonds (BTP) for the period 1996-2000. The Commission
supports the objective of the Italian law to tackle exorbitant interest
rates but considers these measures to be disproportionate to this objective
and to dissuade banks from other Member States from offering their services
in Italy. The Commission's request takes the form of a "reasoned opinion",
the second stage of the infringement proceedings described in Article 226
of the EC Treaty. If Italy does not provide a satisfactory response within
two months of receiving the reasoned opinion, the Commission may decide to
bring it before the Court of Justice.
[04] Improving food quality and safety: EU to fund 24 new research projects
and networks
24 food quality and safety research projects and 12 support actions have
been awarded an initial EU contribution of €166 million in the first year
of the EU 6th Research Framework Programme (FP6). They are the first
projects of this kind to receive FP6 funding, totalling close to €20
billion over 4 years (2003-2006). The projects and networks, some of which
will receive up to €17 million each, will tackle consumer-oriented issues
such as food-related diseases and allergies, the impact of food on health,
environmentally-friendly production methods, and environmental health risks,
making extensive use of the new approaches offered by FP6. Most of these
major new research initiatives will contribute to the implementation of
relevant EU policies with sound scientific data and recommendations.
[05] La Convention demeure mal connue par l'opinion publique européenne
Un sondage de « Eurobaromètre Flash » réalisé le lendemain du Conseil
européen de Thessalonique et consacré aux résultats de la Convention montre
que le degré de connaissance de la Convention européenne monte mais reste
très insuffisant : 45% des citoyens de l'Union élargie en ont déjà entendu
parler; alors que ce chiffre était encore autour de 30% au mois de mars. En
revanche, 55% des citoyens de l'Union n'ont jamais entendu parler de la
Convention et 52% ignorent le type de texte qu'elle a élaboré. Interrogés
sur le fond des propositions, 68% des sondés souhaitent une Constitution
pour réformer l'Union européenne. Enfin, 43% descitoyens expriment une
préférence pour que le texte de la Convention soit partiellement modifié
par les chefs d'Etat ou de gouvernement.
[06] Electronic Communications: Commission reduces regulation of the
provision of leased lines in the EU
The European Commission yesterday took a Decision that will lead to the
removal of obligations on certain telecommunications network operators to
provide specific types of circuits known as leased lines. Leased lines are
used by large companies to create in-house company networks. Small and
medium sized enterprises and institutions use them to link up to the
Internet and network operators and service providers also use them to link
up their facilities. As such they are essential building blocks of the
information society. Following the successful liberalisation of electronic
communications, there is now competitive supply of leased lines in the EU.
Consequently the need to require provision of these leased line services
nationwide in the Member States is decreasing.
[07] Telecommunications: Five Member States have transposed new regulatory
package into national law on time - Commission to start proceedings against
latecomers
Today, 25 July 2003, is the first day of the new regulatory framework for
electronic communications in Europe, designed to create more competitive
markets. Five Member States have taken the necessary action to transpose
the package into national law (Finland, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom,
and Ireland), and a number of others, in particular Italy, are close
behind. Latecomers risk infringement proceedings if action is not taken
rapidly.
[08] Commission pushes for rapid deployment of location enhanced 112
emergency services
The European Commission has today adopted a Recommendation that will help
the emergency services locate people who call them using the pan-European
emergency number 112 that can be dialled in all EU Member States. The
efficiency of emergency interventions can be greatly increased by systems
providing automatic transfer of location information to emergency centres
for both fixed and mobile callers. The Recommendation, which is based on
extensive consultation with network operators and emergency authorities,
proposes concrete guidelines for setting up such systems.
[09] ERIKA I maritime safety legislation enters into force: Commission
takes action against 10 Member States
The Erika I legislation finally entered into force on July 22 more than 3
years after these stricter maritime safety rules were proposed by the
Commission. «We could have avoided the PRESTIGE oil spill, had these key
measures been into force ealier as the Commission initially proposed »
declared Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President in charge of transport and
energy. "These rules now need to be fully adopted and implemented. The
Commission, as guardian of the EU treaties, will do its utmost to make sure
that another Prestige disaster does not endanger EU waters and shores ».
The Commission has decided to initiate legal proceedings against 10 Member
States for failing to notify transposition of this key EU maritime safety
legislation. Both the ship inspection and survey organisation and Port
State Control rules adopted in the aftermath of the ERIKA disaster should
have been transposed into national law by 22 July 2003. To date only
Denmark, France, Germany, Spain and the UK have done so. Failure to
implement these rules can directly affect the quality and safety of the
ships sailing in European waters, of European ships globally as well as the
removal of unsound vessels from the seas. The Commission also publishes
today the list of vessels which may be banned from EU ports should they be
detained again after July 2003.
[10] EU-ACPs: Commission approves €50 million trade assistance Programme
Trade.com
The European Commission has approved Trade.Com, a € 50 million trade
related assistance programme for Africa Caribean and Pacific countries. The
programme will focus on creating the necessary capacities in ACP countries
to benefit from increased trading opportunies. Commenting on the new
programme EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, said: "We need to ensure that
the benefits from better trading opportunities translate into growth and
development. Aid is therefore the necessary complement to trade. In the run
up to the WTO Ministerial meeting in Cancun, it sends a strong signal that
the EU is ready to deliver on the commitments entered into under the Doha
Development Agenda (DDA). Trade assistance is a key element of the EU-ACP
Economic and Partnership Agreements currently being negotiated. I will have
an opportunity to discuss this issue with ACP Trade Ministers when we meet
on 31 July. EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Mr. Poul
Nielson, added: "Our ACP partners need both trade and aid. This new
Programme will strengthen the ACP voice in multilateral or bilateral trade
negotiations. It will complement our efforts under the Economic Partnership
Agreement negotiations to strengthen the trading capacity of the ACP States
and help them to effectively use trade for their development."
[11] Drought: Further support measures agreed
The Beef Management Committee unanimously agreed today on a Commission
proposal to give the Member States the possibility to increase the advance
payments of the premia in the beef sector from 60% to 80%. The measure will
be applicable from 16 October onwards and will offer income relief to the
farmers affected by the drought. It will now be formally adopted by the
Commission. The measure comes on top of those already adopted by the
Commission: In the affected regions, farmers are allowed to use their set
aside land for grazing or for feed purposes and several sales of rice from
intervention stocks to be used in animal feed have been accepted. Further
support measures for the farmers affected by the severe dry weather could
be decided in the near future.
[12] Commission clears joint acquisition of GDF International by Italcogim
The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation
to the acquisition of joint control of the Italian undertaking Italcogim
S.p.A., a recently created holding company currently controlled by the
Fabiani family, which operates gas distribution networks in various parts
of Italy, by the French undertaking GDF International S.A.S., a wholly
owned subsidiary of Gaz de France Group. (The operation, notified on 23
June 2003, was examined under the simplified merger review procedure)
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Calendrier du 28 juillet au 01 août
Speech of Dr. Franz FISCHLER : CAP Reform : An Irish perspective
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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