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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-10-11
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] La Commission propose des règles révisées sur les additifs
alimentaires, qui réduisent les taux de nitrates et de nitrites
[02] La Commission approuve sous conditions le rachat par Total auprès de
GDF de plusieurs actifs gaziers dans le Sud-Ouest et le Centre de la France
[03] Chris Patten announces launch of Feasibility Report on Serbia and
Montenegro
[04] EU-Tajikistan : signature of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
(PCA)
[05] WTO-Vietnam : EU and Vietnam conclude bilateral deal for Vietnam's
accession to WTO
[06] Plant Genetic Resources : great success in an important step towards
an accord on access to agricultural seeds and the sharing of commercial
benefits
[07] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2004-10-11
Reference: MEX/04/1011
Date: 11/10/2004
EXME04 / 11.10
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Général Presse etb
Communication
11/10/04
[01] La Commission propose des règles révisées sur les additifs
alimentaires, qui réduisent les taux de nitrates et de nitrites
La Commission européenne a adopté aujourd'hui une proposition de
modification de la directive 95/2/CE concernant les additifs alimentaires
autres que les colorants et les édulcorants. Les modifications proposées
réduiront les taux autorisés de nitrates et de nitrites dans les produits
de viande, retireront l'autorisation d'utiliser des gélifiants
alimentaires dans les produits "en minibarquettes", retireront
l'autorisation d'utiliser un certain parabène (E216 et E217) et
autoriseront l'usage de quatre nouveaux additifs alimentaires.
[02] La Commission approuve sous conditions le rachat par Total auprès de
GDF de plusieurs actifs gaziers dans le Sud-Ouest et le Centre de la France
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement
Concentrations, le projet d'acquisition par Total auprès de Gaz de France
(GDF) de plusieurs actifs gaziers dans le Sud-Ouest et le Centre de la
France, dont certains étaient déjà co-détenus par Total avec GDF. Le feu
vert a été possible après que Total s'est engagé à mettre en œuvre
diverses mesures visant à garantir un accès adéquat et équitable des
tiers à son réseau de transport et à ses installations de stockage de gaz
naturel dans le Sud-Ouest.
[03] Chris Patten announces launch of Feasibility Report on Serbia and
Montenegro
The European Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, will
announce today that the Commission will re-launch the Feasibility Report on
a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia and Montenegro.
The Feasibility Report will assess the country's capacity to negotiate and
implement the far-reaching political and economic obligations under a
Stabilisation and Association Agreement. This decision follows the full
endorsement of the EU's "twin-track" approach by political leaders of
Serbia and Montenegro. Commissioner Patten will make his decision known in
Luxembourg at today's meeting of the External Relations Council, which
brings together the EU's Foreign Affairs Ministers, where he will indicate
that the Report could be ready by spring 2005.
[04] EU-Tajikistan : signature of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
(PCA)
The European Union (EU) and the Republic of Tajikistan will sign today in
Luxembourg a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) which provides for
a significant strengthening of the relations between the EU and this
Central Asian republic. The EU will be represented at the signature
ceremony by EU Foreign Ministers led by the Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard
Bot, of the rotating Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, currently
held by the Netherlands and the Commissioner for External Relations, Chris
Patten. Tajikistan will be represented by President Emomali Rakhmanov. At
the same time an Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade-related matters will
be signed which, pending the ratification of the PCA, will provide for the
implementation of the trade related provisions of the Agreement. Tajikistan
is by far the most significant per capita beneficiary of European Community
assistance in Central Asia. From 1992 to 2002, the Community budget
provided more than €350 million to Tajikistan, most of it in grant form.
[05] WTO-Vietnam : EU and Vietnam conclude bilateral deal for Vietnam's
accession to WTO
After a week of negotiations in Hanoi, European Trade Commissioner Pascal
Lamy and Vietnamese Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen concluded on 9 October
the bilateral EU-Vietnam agreement for Vietnam's accession to the WTO. The
EU, Vietnam's largest trading partner, is thus the first major partner to
conclude its bilateral deal with Vietnam, thereby giving a boost to
Vietnam's accession to the WTO.
[06] Plant Genetic Resources : great success in an important step towards
an accord on access to agricultural seeds and the sharing of commercial
benefits
From the 4-8 October the European Commission hosted a meeting of the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on options for a
new Standard Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) under the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The MTA will
specify the rights and obligations of all providers and recipients of seeds,
for agricultural research and the breeding of new plant varieties. It is of
key importance for the functioning of the International Treaty. The
International Treaty seeks to balance the interests of all parties, in
developing and industrialised countries, in access to, and the use of,
these biological resources. The meeting brought together experts from
developing countries, EU Member States and other OECD countries to consider
ways of ensuring that all countries benefit from the commercial use of
seeds in the most important agricultural crops. All parties regarded this
meeting a tremendous success, considering the conflicting interests and the
political importance. The goodwill of the experts, excellent chairmanship
and an effective joint FAO and Commission organisation contributed to this
achievement. For the upcoming meetings of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations in November the result of this expert
meeting will serve as a base for political decisions on the implementation
of the International Treaty.
[07] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by JoaquÃn Almunia : "The success story of creating the euro and
future challenges" at Euro Conference (Amsterdam)
Speech by Viviane Reding : "Sport and Television: Ready to Face New
Challenges?" at Sportel (Monaco, ! embargo 18h00 !)
Speech by Pascal Lamy : "EU-Vietnam: a partnership of equals" at the
European Chamber of Commerce (08/10, Hanoi)
Speech by Pascal Lamy : "Vietnam a step closer to the multilateral trade
family" at the press conference concluding EU-Vietnam bilateral
negotiations for Vietnam's accession to the WTO (09/10, Hanoi)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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