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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-12-21
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Climate change : projections show EU on track to meet Kyoto Protocol
emissions targets
[02] Emissions registries : Commission adopts rules to ensure emissions
trading market reaches its full potential
[03] Batteries : Commission welcomes political agreement in the Council
[04] New Animal Health Strategy announced by Markos Kyprianou
[05] Commission commits €20 million to the fight against illegal logging
and the trade in illegal timber
[06] Commission clears acquisition of SEA by Bridgepoint
[07] Commission clears acquisition of CBR Group by Apax and Cinven
[08] Octobre 2004 : excédent de €5,5 milliards du commerce extérieur
pour la zone euro - déficit de €7,1 milliards pour l'UE25
[09] Qualifications professionnelles : la Commission traduit l'Allemagne et
le Luxembourg devant la Cour
[10] Copyright : Spain, Ireland and Portugal before the Court over
incorrect application of the public lending right
[11] Services : procédures d'infraction contre l'Italie, l'Autriche, la
France et le Luxembourg
[12] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2004-12-21
Reference: MEX/04/1221
Date: 21/12/2004
EXME04 / 21.12
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
21/12/04
[01] Climate change : projections show EU on track to meet Kyoto Protocol
emissions targets
The EU and most individual Member States should be able to achieve their
greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol on the
basis of policies, measures and third-country projects currently planned, a
progress report just adopted by the European Commission concludes. The EU-
15 has committed itself to reducing emissions by 8% from 1990 levels by
2008-2012, while most of the new Member States have individual reduction
targets of 8% (6% for Hungary and Poland) under the Protocol. By 2002
emissions had been reduced by 2.9% in the EU-15 and by 9.0% in the EU-25.
The latest emission projections from Member States suggest that a
combination of existing domestic policies and measures, additional policies
and measures which are already in an advanced state of planning, and
emission credits gained through the Protocol's project-based mechanisms
will deliver a total EU-15 emissions cut of 8.6% by 2010. This is despite
the fact that some EU-15 Member States are projected to have emissions in
2010 exceeding their legally-binding targets. All new Member States with
targets are on track to meet their Kyoto Protocol targets on the basis of
existing and additional policies and measures.
[02] Emissions registries : Commission adopts rules to ensure emissions
trading market reaches its full potential
Today the European Commission adopted the final piece of legislation
foreseen under the Emissions Trading Directive, in preparation for the
innovative EU greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme to begin on 1 January
2005. This Regulation lays the foundation for an electronic registries
system that will keep track of the ownership of emission allowances as they
change hands in the market. The emissions trading scheme is one of the key
policies and measures developed under the European Climate Change Programme
to ensure that the European Union and Member States limit or reduce
emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases in line with their
commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
[03] Batteries : Commission welcomes political agreement in the Council
The European Commission welcomed the swift political agreement reached by
the Environment Council on a proposed new Directive on batteries and
accumulators. The Directive aims at collecting and recycling all waste
batteries and at preventing their incineration and disposal. Waste
batteries can cause environmental and health problems due to the heavy
metals that they contain. This agreement includes the setting of binding
collection and recycling targets, and a partial ban on portable (ie
consumer) cadmium batteries.
[04] New Animal Health Strategy announced by Markos Kyprianou
A new EU Animal Health Strategy to improve the prevention and control of
animal disease in the EU was announced today by European Health and
Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou at the Agriculture
Council. The Commission plans to propose a Communication in 2007 setting
out actions for 2007-13. Mr Kyprianou said : "The devastating social and
economic consequences of diseases like foot-and-mouth disease or avian
influenza demonstrate the importance of a strong and effective animal
health policy at EU level. The Commission intends to develop a new and
improved animal health strategy for the EU, to go beyond what has already
been achieved with the existing animal health policy." Animal disease
outbreaks are costly and there are also ethical issues related to the mass
slaughter of animals when controlling an outbreak. Added to this, there is
growing concern about the potential impact of certain animal diseases on
human health. A disease like avian influenza might even lead to a worldwide
pandemic. The new EU animal health strategy therefore aims to develop the
policy of disease prevention, make emergency vaccination a more viable
option, simplify the legislation and make better use of financial
resources. The existing EU animal health policy will soon undergo an
external evaluation. Animal health policy at the EU level plays a key role
in facilitating the trade in animals and animal products, ensuring food
safety, preventing the transmission of animal diseases to humans and
providing financial support for the control and eradication of many serious
diseases. For further information:
<a href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/diseases/strategy/index_en.htm">http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/diseases/strategy/index_en.htm
[05] Commission commits €20 million to the fight against illegal logging
and the trade in illegal timber
The European Commission today committed €20 million to support the EU
Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), which
aims to combat illegal logging and related trade. The Commission will
support international and non-governmental organisations and the private
sector, through a range of innovative pilot activities, to promote
governance reform in countries affected by illegal logging and to
facilitate trade in legally harvested timber. The release of €20 million
to support the FLEGT initiative forms part of a new commitment of more than
€60 million for projects to support the conservation and sustainable
management of forests in developing countries.
[06] Commission clears acquisition of SEA by Bridgepoint
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Italian company SEA
(Società Europea Autocaravan S.p.A) by newly created company SIX,
controlled by UK company Bridgepoint. Bridgepoint is active in the private
equity management business and controls a number of private equity funds,
including Bridgepoint Europe II which will, through SIX, acquire control of
SEA. SEA designs, produces, sells and rents caravans. It is active only in
the European Union. The operation was examined under the simplified merger
review procedure.
[07] Commission clears acquisition of CBR Group by Apax and Cinven
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of a number of undertakings
belonging to the CBR Group (Germany) by Apax Euope, based in the Channel
Islands, and UK company Cinven. (On 5th November 2004 the Commission
approved the acquisition of the CBR Group by Cinven.) Apax Europe is a
financial investment fund which belongs to the pan-European group of Apax
investment funds, and is ultimately controlled by The Hirzell Trust
(Guernsey, Channel Islands). Cinven is a private equity business, providing
investment management advice and services to a number of investments funds,
including pension funds. The CBR Group is active in the design and
wholesale distribution of women's clothing. The CBR Group has no production
facilities or retail operations of its own. The operation was examined
under the simplified merger review procedure.
[08] Octobre 2004 : excédent de €5,5 milliards du commerce extérieur
pour la zone euro - déficit de €7,1 milliards pour l'UE25
D'après les premières estimations pour le mois d'octobre 2004, la zone
euro a réalisé un excédent du commerce extérieur de €5,5 milliards
avec le reste du monde, contre +9,1 milliards en octobre 2003. Le solde
enregistré au mois de septembre 2004 était de +2,5 milliards, contre +8,5
milliards en septembre 2003. En octobre 2004, les exportations, corrigées
des variations saisonnières, ont fléchi de 0,4% par rapport à septembre
2004, tandis que les importations ont augmenté de 1,0%. Les premières
estimations du solde des échanges extra-UE25 pour le mois d'octobre 2004
indiquent un déficit de €7,1 milliards, contre -2,4 milliards en octobre
2003. Au mois de septembre 2004, le solde était de -7,7 milliards, contre -
3,9 milliards en septembre 2003. En octobre 2004, les exportations,
corrigées des variations saisonnières, ont diminué de 1,2% par rapport Ã
septembre 2004, alors que les importations ont augmenté de 0,8%. Ces
données sont publiées aujourd'hui par Eurostat.
[09] Qualifications professionnelles : la Commission traduit l'Allemagne et
le Luxembourg devant la Cour
La Commission européenne a décidé de saisir la Cour de justice, au titre
de l'article 226 du Traité CE, au sujet de la législation allemande
relative à l'exercice de la psychothérapie dans le cadre de la sécurité
sociale. Elle saisira la Cour également contre le Luxembourg en raison du
contrôle linguistique qu'il a introduit pour l'établissement des avocats,
ce qui est incompatible avec la directive 98/5/CE, qui permet à un avocat
de s'établir dans un autre Etat membre et de pratiquer le droit du pays
d'accueil.
[10] Copyright : Spain, Ireland and Portugal before the Court over
incorrect application of the public lending right
The European Commission has decided to refer Spain, Ireland and Portugal to
the European Court of Justice for failure to implement fully into national
legislation the public lending right provided for by Directive 92/100/EEC
on rental right and on certain rights related to copyright. Portugal is
also to be referred to the Court for failure to implement correctly the
rental right set out in the same Directive. The Directive aims to ensure
that the rights of authors and others who create cultural products are
protected throughout the European Union when their works are lent or rented
and thus that their ability and incentive to create is maintained (see
IP/02/1303).
[11] Services : procédures d'infraction contre l'Italie, l'Autriche, la
France et le Luxembourg
La Commission européenne a entrepris des actions afin de mettre fin à des
entraves à la liberté d'établissement et à la libre circulation des
services dans quatre Etats membres. Elle a décidé de traduire devant la
Cour de Justice européenne l'Italie et le Luxembourg pour ne pas s'être
mis en conformité avec l'arrêt de la Cour qui en 2003 avait censuré leur
législation respective en matière d'agents de brevet : la Commission
demande ainsi l'application de sanctions pécuniaires à l'égard de ces
deux Etats membres. La Commission a aussi décidé de traduire l'Italie
devant la Cour en raison de la législation nationale relative Ã
l'activité de recouvrement extra judiciaire des crédits. La Commission
saisira la Cour à l'encontre de l'Autriche, au motif de sa réglementation
sur les inspections périodiques des appareils à pression (par exemple, les
chaudières). La Commission a également demandé formellement à deux Etats
membres de modifier leurs respectives législations : la France, pour son
régime d'attribution des concessions hydroélectriques et l'Italie, en
raison de sa législation en matière de services de sécurité. Ces
demandes prennent la forme d'avis motivés, la deuxième étape de la
procédure d'infraction prévue à l'article 226 du traité CE : faute de
réponse satisfaisante dans un délai de deux mois, la Commission peut
saisir la Cour.
[12] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Charlie McCreevy : "The integration of European financial markets
– our objectives for the coming years" at Initiative Finanzstandort
Deutschland (Frankfurt)
Europe will move to accounting rules for stock options for about 8000
listed European companies
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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