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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-10-16
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Rail infrastructure package : Commission refers nine Member States to
the Court of Justice
[02] Sécurité maritime : la Commission poursuit cinq Etats membres devant
la Cour de Justice
[03] Commission refers the UK to the Court of Justice for failing to apply
Euratom Treaty requirements on radioactive waste
[04] Marine equipment : Commission sends reasoned opinions to six Member
States
[05] Road Transport - enforcing drivers' hours : Commission sends reasoned
opinion to Portugal
[06] Interopérabilité ferroviaire : la Commission adresse des avis motivés
à huit Etats membres
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[07] Commission provides support to OLAF and Belgian authorities on
investigation into fraud in grain trade prices
[08] Impact assessment of the Chemicals proposal
[09] La Commission approuve l'achat d'une filiale de Toro par Generali
[10] Commission clears VW's stake in Dutch car leasing company Pon
Financial Services
[11] Commission approves €147 million to fight animal diseases in 2004
[12] Septembre 2003 : le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro stable à 2,
1% ; le taux de l'UE15 en baisse à 1,9%
[13] Afghanistan : Commission provides a further €11.53 million in
humanitarian aid
[14] Philippe Busquin welcomes China's first human space flight
[15] EU-Andean Community : new Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement
[16] Conférence sur la fiscalité des entreprises (05-06/12, Rome)
[17] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 16/10/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 16/10/2003[I] Résultats de la Commission
du 15 octobre 2003 - Outcome of Commission meeting of 15 October
(voir aussi see also ME of 15/10)
[01] Rail infrastructure package : Commission refers nine Member States to
the Court of Justice
The European Commission is bringing nine Member States in front of the
Court of Justice for failing to notify the Commission of any transposition
of the rail infrastructure package opening the market for international
rail freight services. The transposition of this set of three directives
into the national legal framework should enable more efficient and on-time
cross-border operations needed by rail to compete with road. The Commission
will fully play its role in ensuring a European level playing field.
[02] Sécurité maritime : la Commission poursuit cinq Etats membres devant
la Cour de Justice
La Commission européenne a décidé de saisir la Cour de Justice à l'encontre
de la Belgique, de la Grèce, des Pays-Bas et de la Finlande pour non-
respect de la législation communautaire en matière de navires de pêche.
Elle a également décidé de demander à la Cour de condamner les Pays-Bas et
l'Autriche pour non- communication des mesures nationales transposant la
directive relative aux installations portuaires pour les déchets
d'exploitation des navires et de cargaison.
[03] Commission refers the UK to the Court of Justice for failing to apply
Euratom Treaty requirements on radioactive waste
Failure to consult the European Commission before authorising the disposal
of radioactive waste from the Devonport Dockyards Ltd (DML) nuclear
installation will result in the United Kingdom's referral to the Court of
Justice, the Commission has decided.
[04] Marine equipment : Commission sends reasoned opinions to six Member
States
The European Commission has sent reasoned opinions the last step before a
formal complaint to the Court of Justice - to Italy, Portugal, Austria,
Luxembourg, Greece and Finland for failure to respect EU legislation on
marine equipment. The aim of the infringed legislation is to enhance safety
at sea and to prevent marine pollution through the uniform application of
international instruments relating to equipment to be placed on board EU
ships. The Commission has decided to send reasoned opinions to Italy,
Portugal, Austria, Luxembourg, Greece and Finland for failing to
communicate national measures transposing a 2002 Directive laying down
quality requirements and testing standards for equipment to be placed on
board a Community ship. Member States had to adopt the necessary
legislation before 23 March 2003.
[05] Road Transport - enforcing drivers' hours : Commission sends reasoned
opinion to Portugal
The European Commission has sent a reasoned opinion the last step before a
formal complaint to the Court of Justice - to Portugal for failure to
respect EU legislation on enforcing road transport drivers' social
legislation. The aim of the infringed legislation is to ensure a minimum
level of enforcement of drivers' hours is maintained in every Member State
to prevent unfair competition within the sector, improve road safety and
working conditions for drivers. The Commission has decided to send this
reasoned opinion to Portugal for failing consistently to meet the minimum
number of checks of days worked by professional drivers each year for the
period from 1995 to 2000. Directive 88/599/EEC requires Member States to
check at least 1% of all days worked by professional drivers, and a minimum
of 15 % of such checks to be at the roadside and 25% at the premises.
Portugal continues to provide insufficient enforcement activities by
failing to meet this minimum requirement its own statistics provided
biennially for the regular Commission reports on the implementation of the
driving time legislation show that for 1995-96 it checked 0,38%, for 1997-
98 0,39% and for 1999-2000 0,66%. Unlike the other Member States that
already check above the minimum requirement, Portugal has still to meet its
obligations.
[06] Interopérabilité ferroviaire : la Commission adresse des avis motivés
à huit Etats membres
La Commission européenne a engagé des procédures légales à l'encontre des
huit pays de l'UE qui ne lui ont pas notifié les mesures de transposition
en droit national de la directive sur l'interopérabilité du rail
conventionnel, destinée à faciliter la circulation des trains sur le réseau
transeuropéen et visant à réaliser un véritable marché intérieur des
équipements et services ferroviaires. Les huit pays qui n'ont pas
communiqué à la Commission les mesures prises pour transposer la
législation européenne dans leur droit national sont l'Autriche,
l'Allemagne, la France, la Grèce, l'Irlande, l'Italie, la Suède et le
Royaume-Uni. La procédure actuelle, qui pourrait mener à une saisine de la
Cour de Justice européenne, concerne le non-respect des délais de
notification à la Commission des mesures de transposition. La directive
2001/16/CE, adoptée le 19 mars 2001, aurait dû être transposée dans les
législations nationales au plus tard le 20 avril 2003. La directive
2001/16/CE sur l'interopérabilité du rail conventionnel, comme celle
relative à la grande vitesse, instaure des procédures communautaires pour
la préparation et l'adoption des spécifications techniques communes, ainsi
que des règles communes pour l'évaluation de la conformité à ces
spécifications. Pour de plus amples informations sur la législation
européenne en matière de transports ferroviaires, consulter le site de la
Commission : http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[07] Commission provides support to OLAF and Belgian authorities on
investigation into fraud in grain trade prices
With the support of the European Commission, OLAF and Belgian investigators
yesterday entered its premises in the context of their investigation into a
possible case of fraud and/or corruption of an EU official working in the
Directorate General for Agriculture (DG AGRI). This official and a
colleague from DG AGRI have been moved to other posts within the DG, as a
precautionary step. Further actions will be taken based on the information
to be received from the Belgian authorities. The information available to
the Commission at this stage points towards a case in which an official is
said to have accepted bribes in return for passing on commercially
interesting information to external companies.
[08] Impact assessment of the Chemicals proposal
The overall costs of the proposal on chemicals, currently in preparation,
will be substantially reduced compared to earlier estimates. The draft
proposal which was posted for Internet consultation earlier this year has
been thoroughly revised to cut costs and minimize bureaucracy whilst
safeguarding human health and the environment. In the new Impact Assessment
the direct costs of REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of
Chemicals) to the chemicals industry are estimated at a total of some €2.3
billion over an 11 year period. This is a reduction of over €10 billion
compared to the Internet text. This reduction is due to changes such as
reduced testing requirements and simplified registration procedures for low
volume chemicals, exclusion of polymers from registration, and a major
reduction in downstream user requirements.
[09] La Commission approuve l'achat d'une filiale de Toro par Generali
La Commission européenne a donné son feu vert à un projet de concentration
par lequel la compagnie d'assurances Assicurazioni Generali SpA, par
l'intermédiaire de la société G.F Participations, acquiert le contrôle de
l'entreprise Continent Holding S.A, une filiale de Toro Assicurazioni et de
Toro International Holding. (L'opération, qui avait été notifiée le 12
septembre 2003, a été examinée sous une procédure simplifiée)
[10] Commission clears VW's stake in Dutch car leasing company Pon
Financial Services
The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation
to the acquisition by the financial arm of Volkswagen (VW Financial
Services; "VWFS") of a stake in Dutch car leasing company Pon Financial
Services B.V. as well as in Volkswagen-verzekerings Service N.V., leading
to joint control by VWFS together with Pon Holdings B.V. The underlying
contractual arrangements stipulating joint control also apply to Volkswagen
Leasing ("VWL"), currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen. (The
operation, notified on 12 September 2003 was examined under the simplified
merger review procedure)
[11] Commission approves €147 million to fight animal diseases in 2004
The European Commission has approved a financial package to fight
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and other animal diseases
in the EU in 2004. The EU budget will contribute €92.64 million for
financing BSE and scrapie monitoring and eradication in the Member States
and Accession Countries. The Commission also adopted funding provisions for
the 2004 programmes to eradicate other animal diseases like brucellosis or
rabies and prevent zoonoses. The EU will contribute €54.29 million from its
resources in the veterinary field for these programmes in the Member States
and some Accession Countries. The diseases targeted by the programmes have
implications for both human and animal health or cause serious losses in
livestock farming and therefore constitute barriers to intra-EU or
international trade.
[12] Septembre 2003 : le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro stable à 2,
1% ; le taux de l'UE15 en baisse à 1,9%
En septembre 2003, le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro était de 2,1%,
comme en août, indique aujourd'hui Eurostat. Un an auparavant, le taux
était de 2,1%. Le taux d'inflation annuel de l'UE15 a baissé de 2,0% en
août à 1,9% en septembre 2003. Un an auparavant, le taux était de 1,9%. En
septembre 2003, les taux annuels les plus élevés ont été enregistrés en
Irlande (3,8%), au Portugal (3,2%), en Espagne et en Italie (3,0% chacun) ;
les taux les plus bas ont été observés en Allemagne (1,1%), en Finlande (1,
2%) et en Autriche (1,3%).
[13] Afghanistan : Commission provides a further €11.53 million in
humanitarian aid
The European Commission has approved an aid package worth €11.53 million to
help victims of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The funding will
help vulnerable populations to prepare for harsh winter conditions and to
cope with the effects of ongoing drought, as well as assisting people who
have been displaced from their homes. The aid is channelled through the
Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), which comes under the responsibility of
Commissioner Poul Nielson. Commenting on the decision, Mr Nielson said :
"We have seen some progress in Afghanistan over the last two years,
reflected above all in the huge numbers who have returned home, but there
are still major challenges to overcome. In providing vital support to those
who are most in need in Afghanistan, the Commission will continue to be
guided by the principles of neutrality, impartiality and humanity the
jewels in the crown of the humanitarian aid system."
[14] Philippe Busquin welcomes China's first human space flight
"I congratulate the People's Republic of China and the Chinese people for
the success of their first human space flight", European Research
Commissioner Philippe Busquin said today. "The successful launch and safe
return of a Chinese astronaut represents an important event for space
exploration. Human space flight is a dream for all of us and opens a new
chapter for scientific and technical exploration of space. For the European
Union, it still remains a goal to be achieved. This endeavour can bring
nations together and opens up new opportunities for scientific and
technological cooperation."
[15] EU-Andean Community : new Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement
On 15 October, in Quito (Ecuador), the EU and the Andean Community (CAN:
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela) successfully concluded the
second and final round of negotiations for a new Political Dialogue and
Cooperation Agreement. At the origin of this negotiation is the decision
taken by Heads of State and Government at the Madrid Summit between the EU
and Latin America and the Caribbean in 2002 to strengthen political
relations and cooperation between the two regions, as well as to foster
regional integration among Andean countries. The successful conclusion of
the negotiation shows the determination of both sides to deliver on the
commitments made in Madrid with a view to the next European Union-Latin
American and Caribbean Summit of Heads of State and Government, which is to
take place in Mexico in 2004. The agreed text has been initialled by Ms
Astrid Schomaker, Head of the Andean Community Unit at the European
Commission's External Relations Directorate General and by Ambassador
Mentor Villagómez, Head of the Ecuadorian Mission to the EU on behalf of
the Ecuadorian rotating Presidency of the Andean Community. For more
information on the relations between the EU and CAN, see : http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/andean/intro/index.htm
[16] Conférence sur la fiscalité des entreprises (05-06/12, Rome)
La Commission européenne offre la possibilité de s'inscrire en ligne à une
conférence de haut niveau portant sur "Réforme de la fiscalité des
entreprises dans l'Union européenne - progrès et nouveaux défis" qu'elle
organisera avec la présidence italienne du Conseil des ministres de l'UE
les 5 et 6 décembre à Rome. La participation à la conférence est ouverte à
tous, étant entendu que le nombre de place est limité et qu'il y a lieu de
s'inscrire avant le 31 octobre. Les journalistes sont également invités à y
participer. La conférence a pour objectif d'évaluer les progrès réalisés
dans la coordination de la fiscalité des entreprises dans l'Union
européenne depuis que la Commission a proposé en octobre 2001 une stratégie
à deux niveaux pour supprimer les entraves fiscales dans le marché
intérieur, et notamment une assiette d'imposition unique consolidée pour
les activités des entreprises à l'échelle européenne (cf. IP/01/1468). Pour
les modalités d'inscription, l'ordre du jour et les informations pratiques,
veuillez consulter: http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/taxation/company_tax/fr/index.htm
[17] Autre matériel diffusé
Discours de M. Busquin : "Les femmes et la recherche industrielle"
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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