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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-05-28Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>CONTENTS / CONTENU
MIDDAY EXPRESSNews from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefingNouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Général Presse etbCommunication28/05/04[01] Commission clears acquisition of Sportfive by AdventThe European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation to the acquisition of full control of the French sports rights agency Sportfive S.A. by the US investment company Advent International Corporation. (The operation, notified on 24 april 2004, was examined under the simplified merger review procedure).[02] Commission funds disaster preparedness actions in Central Asia worth €2.5 millionThe European Commission has approved a second Action Plan to help vulnerable populations in Central Asia prepare for and respond to natural disasters. The €2.5 million will finance small-scale infrastructure projects to protect vulnerable groups from likely natural disasters, and will support activities that strengthen the capacity of local communities to predict, respond to and cope with disasters. Particular focus will be on disaster prone Tajikistan. Funds will be allocated via the Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) under the responsibility of Commissioner Poul Nielson.[03] Estimation rapide - mai 2004 : l'inflation de la zone euro estimée à 2,5%Selon une estimation rapide publiée aujourd'hui par Eurostat, le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro s'établirait à 2,5% en mai 2004. En avril 2004, le taux était de 2,0%.[04] May 2004 : economic sentiment improves in the EU and in the euro areaThe economic sentiment indicator (ESI) for the EU rose by 1.2 points in May, reaching a level of 103.3. This improvement reflects primarily mounting confidence in the industry and services sector, which more than offset a slight dip in consumer sentiment. Economic sentiment improved also in the euro area, although by a mere 0.1 points, with stronger optimism in the services sector more than compensating a slight decline in consumer and retail trade confidence.[05] May 2004 : small setback in the euro area Business Climate IndicatorFollowing its exceptionally strong increase in April, the Business Climate Indicator for the euro area recorded a decline of 0.11 point in May. The value is now at 0.28 which is still the second highest value in more than three years. The BCI combines the responses of managers in industry to the questions regarding production trend in the recent past, production expectations, total order books, export order books and stocks of finished products.[06] La Commission et les représentants du secteur se rencontrent pour envisager l'avenir du Fonds communautaire de la pêcheA l'initiative de la Commission européenne, une conférence de deux jours a débuté aujourd'hui, 28 mai 2004, à Bundoran (Irlande) pour étudier, avec les acteurs concernés, le financement de la pêche après 2006. Il s'agit dans ce cadre d'examiner le rôle que le futur Fonds de la pêche doit jouer dans la mise en oeuvre de la politique commune de la pêche (PCP) et la promotion du développement des zones de pêche au cours de la prochaine période de programmation 2007-2013. A cette conférence participent quelque 350 représentants des différentes branches du secteur de la pêche, des administrations nationales et régionales, des groupements de consommateurs et autres organisations non gouvernementales ainsi que des scientifiques et des experts intéressés par la politique commune de la pêche.[07] La Commission lance le premier réseau mondial de recherche sur les maladies à prionsCe 28 mai 2004, à Paris, Philippe Busquin, membre de la Commission européenne chargé de la Recherche, lancera le premier réseau mondial de recherche sur les maladies à prions. Réunissant 52 laboratoires dans 20 pays différents, ce réseau d'excellence regroupera 90% des équipes de recherche européennes travaillant sur l’ESB (encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine), la vMCJ (variante de la maladie de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, forme humaine de l'ESB), la tremblante du mouton (maladie à prions ovine) et d’autres types de maladies à prions. Le réseau bénéficiera de 14,4 millions €, sur 5 ans, provenant du budget de la recherche de l'Union européenne. Une nouvelle installation de recherche sur les prions sera également inaugurée au CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique), lequel est un important organisme de recherche pluridisciplinaire en France et l'institution chargée de coordonner le réseau d'excellence NeuroPrion.[08] Next week is Green Week 2004This year's edition of Green Week takes place from 1 to 4 June in the European Commission's Charlemagne building in Brussels under the motto "Changing our behaviour: informed choices for a greener Europe". Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström will inaugurate Green Week on 1 June at 10h15 and participate in a number of events during the week. She commented : "At Green Week I want all of us to 'think aloud' about how we can really change our environmental behaviour and help move our society towards sustainable development. It is important that all of us participate: citizens, businesses, policy makers, NGOs, the media, teachers, scientists and young people. The feedback we get from Green Week is very valuable to us. It helps us identify the most pressing issues and shape policies that are the most environmentally effective, economically affordable and socially acceptable." With around 4,000 participants expected this year, Green Week is the largest annual international forum for discussion of current and future EU environmental policy. Some 27 debates, workshops and seminars are scheduled over the four days, involving almost 200 speakers from the 25 EU Member States as well as from the US and China. In parallel with the discussions, the Green Week exhibition, running during the whole week, will showcase projects, products and information from more than 60 organisations as well as drawings, paintings and photographs of birds made by the children nominated for European Environment Awards.[09] "Health is wealth" stresses David Byrne on 31 May World No Tobacco Day"Tobacco and poverty" is the theme of this year's World No Tobacco Day on 31 May with the slogan : Tobacco and poverty: a vicious circle. "Health is wealth", European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne commented. "I welcome that this year's World No Tobacco Day puts the finger on the link between smoking and poverty. Money is spent on tobacco instead of food, education and healthcare. Around five million people die globally every year due to tobacco use. Global problems need global partnerships but local solutions. Once properly implemented, the global Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) will provide an effective tool to make tobacco control a cornerstone of health and development", he added. Each year a different theme is selected for World No Tobacco Day to inform about the dangers of tobacco use, the business practices of tobacco companies, and what citizens around the globe can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations against the preventable premature death and disease tobacco consumption causes.[10] Autre matériel diffuséNote on Employment, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection Council, (01-02, Luxembourg)Propos liminaires de MM. Patten et Iglesias lors d'une conférence de presse au Sommet UE-Amérique latine et Caraïbes (27/05, Guadalajara, Mexique) Speech by Sandra Kalniete : "Steering towards 2007-2013: what contribution to the CFP" at Ministerial Conference on the Sustainable Development of Fisheries in the Mediterranean (Bundoran, Ireland) Speech by David Byrne at the BEUC General Assembly Calendrier du 31/05 au 05/06 From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/ |