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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-08-01
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission clears acquisition of VDBO by Archer Daniel Midlands (ADM)
[02] La Commission lance une consultation sur Internet à propos de la
teneur en cadmium dans les engrais
[03] EU-ACP : working together on the Road to Cancun
[04] Social security systems and demographic developments in agriculture in
the CEE candidate countries
Midday Express 01/08/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 01/08/2003
[01] Commission clears acquisition of VDBO by Archer Daniel Midlands (ADM)
The European Commission has approved the acquisition of VDBO, a division of
Unilever Bestfoods active in the seed oil sector and its by-products, by
ADM. The transaction broadens ADM's activities on the seed oil and bakery
fat markets but no competition concerns arise as a result of the
transaction.
[02] La Commission lance une consultation sur Internet à propos de la
teneur en cadmium dans les engrais
La Commission européenne lance aujourd'hui une consultation sur Internet
d'une durée de 8 semaines à propos d'un projet de proposition visant à
introduire progressivement des teneurs maximales pour le cadmium dans les
engrais phosphatés. Le cadmium est un métal lourd toxique présent
naturellement à faibles concentrations dans l'environnement. La proposition
vise à introduire graduellement sur plusieurs années des limites maximales
de cadmium dans les engrais. Cette introduction graduelle donnera aux
fournisseurs d'engrais suffisamment de temps pour s'adapter aux nouvelles
dispositions et garantir la continuité de l'approvisionnement aux
agriculteurs de l'UE. L'objectif final est de stopper l'accumulation de
cadmium dans les terres agricoles. La consultation qui commence le 1er août
2003 permettra aux parties intéressées de faire part de leurs commentaires
sur l'impact et sur les modalités des futures obligations juridiques avant
que la Commission ne finalise sa proposition. Cette consultation prendra
fin le 26 septembre 2003.
[03] EU-ACP : working together on the Road to Cancun
European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and Trade Ministers from Africa,
Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACPs) met on 31 July in Brussels to
prepare the upcoming WTO Ministerial meeting which will take place in
Cancun (Mexico) in September as well as to discuss the on-ongoing
negotiations for EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements. With less than a
month to go before Cancun, both parties agreed to work together to ensure
the right balance between market opening and rules, taking into account the
particular circumstances of ACP countries, especially the poorest countries
and landlocked and island countries. Pascal Lamy said : "Both the EU and
ACP countries consider the development dimension as the key element of the
Doha Agenda. Whether on agriculture, on industrial tariffs or on access to
medicines we must ensure that we respond to the concerns and expectations
of developing countries."
[04] Social security systems and demographic developments in agriculture in
the CEE candidate countries
The assessment report "Social security systems and demographic developments
in agriculture in the CEE candidate countries" by the Network of
Independent Experts in the CEE Candidate Countries and the Institute for
Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO) has been
published today. It provides an overview of the agricultural social
security systems and their impact on agrarian structural change. The report
shows that social security arrangements for agricultural workers in the
Accession and Candidate Countries are generally integrated into the overall
social security system, with the existence of specific schemes for
agriculture. However, a large number of farmers are not covered adequately,
which is also a reflection of the general level of social security that is
still under transformation in these countries. The low levels of social
security in some countries accentuate the significance of the subsistence
agriculture to importantly contribute to the livelihood of unemployed and
pensioners. Most experts contributing to the report share the view that
current social security arrangements have little impact on demographic
developments or structural change in the market oriented agricultural
sectors in those countries. Encouragement to farmers to take up early
retirement through incentives in the social security system might be an
alternative, provided it led to an accelerated restructuring of the sector.
As in current Member States reforms of the social security systems are
under way with a view to stabilising the finances of the social security
system and reducing the size of the state budget contribution. The full
text of the report is available on the internet at : http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/publi/reports/ccsocialsec/index_en.htm
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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