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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 05-04-04
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Prévisions économiques de printemps de la Commission pour 2005-2006
[02] Commission clears acquisition of Sanitec by EQT
[03] Galileo : la Commission propose l'ouverture de négociations avec
l'Argentine sur la navigation par satellite
[04] February 2005 compared to January 2005 : industrial producer prices up
by 0.4% in euro-zone and EU25
[05] Benita Ferrero-Waldner welcomes US Deputy Secretary of State Zoellick
[06] Commission extends Sudan dye measures and reminds food operators of
their responsibilities
[07] Commission seeks clarification on Bt10 from US authorities and
Syngenta
[08] Douanes : séminaire sur la contrefaçon (04-07/04, Budapest)
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2005-04-04
Reference: MEX/05/0404
Date: 04/04/2005
EXME05 / 4.4
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
04/04/05
[01] Prévisions économiques de printemps de la Commission pour 2005-2006
A la suite du ralentissement de l'activité économique observé au second
semestre de 2004, la croissance dans la zone euro et l'UE devrait revenir
au potentiel dans le courant de 2005, sous l'effet de la progression de la
demande intérieure. D'une manière générale, la croissance du PIB
devrait se chiffrer à 1,6% dans la zone euro et à 2,0% dans l'UE (2,1% et 2,
3% respectivement en 2006). Quant à la croissance de l'emploi, elle devrait
s'accélérer, tant dans la zone euro que dans l'UE, favorisant une
légère baisse du chômage en 2006. Les finances publiques ne devraient
pour leur part guère évoluer cette année, avec un déficit s'élevant
à 2,6% du PIB dans l'UE comme dans la zone euro.
[02] Commission clears acquisition of Sanitec by EQT
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Sanitec International S.A.
(Sanitec) of Finland by Ceasar, controlled by EQT IV Fund (EQT IV) of
Guernsey, the Channel Islands, itself part of the EQT Group. The EQT Group
is a private equity portfolio company managing funds such as EQT IV Fund,
and is ultimately controlled by Investor AB. Sanitec designs, manufactures
and markets bathroom ceramics, bath and shower products. Ceasar is a new
holding company created for the purpose of acquiring Sanitec. The operation
was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[03] Galileo : la Commission propose l'ouverture de négociations avec
l'Argentine sur la navigation par satellite
La Commission européenne a demandé aujourd'hui au Conseil d'approuver sa
recommandation visant à entamer des négociations sur un accord de
coopération avec l'Argentine pour la mise en place d'un système mondial
de navigation par satellite (GNSS) Ã usage civil. "Cette proposition en vue
d'un nouvel accord de coopération international souligne clairement le
succès de Galileo et démontre une fois de plus l'intérêt général
que suscite le projet", a déclaré Jacques Barrot, vice-président de la
Commission chargé des transports. La Commission a l'intention d'entamer
les négociations immédiatement après l'approbation du Conseil.
[04] February 2005 compared to January 2005 : industrial producer prices up
by 0.4% in euro-zone and EU25
The euro-zone industrial producer price index rose by 0.4% in February 2005
compared with the previous month, according to Eurostat. In February 2005,
EU25 prices also increased by 0.4%. In January 2005 prices rose by 0.6% in
the euro-zone and by 0.7% in the EU25. In February 2005 compared to
February 2004, industrial producer prices grew by 4.2% in the euro-zone and
by 5.0% in the EU25.
[05] Benita Ferrero-Waldner welcomes US Deputy Secretary of State Zoellick
European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy
Benita Ferrrero-Waldner will today receive US Deputy Secretary of State
Robert Zoellick at the Commission Headquarters in Brussels. Mr Zoellick is
a well-known interlocutor at the Commission as he served as US Trade
Representative during the first term of President George W. Bush. This will
be his first trip abroad in his new capacity. Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner
said : "I am looking forward to meeting Bob Zoellick and working with him.
We need to build on the very positive atmosphere established during
President Bush's recent visit to Brussels, to make real progress towards
our common objectives bilaterally and in the international arena." Issues
for discussion are the preparation of the EU-US Summit in June, bilateral
issues including the extension of the visa waiver programme to all new
Member States, and foreign policy issues.
[06] Commission extends Sudan dye measures and reminds food operators of
their responsibilities
The European Commission is extending controls for Sudan dyes to include
imports of curcuma and virgin palm oil as well as chilli and chilli
products, and has published a new leaflet to remind food and feed operators
of their responsibilities for food safety. Member States today endorsed a
Commission proposal to add curcuma and virgin palm oil to the list of food
products which must be certified as free of Sudan dyes (Sudan I, II, III
and Scarlet Red/Sudan IV), in order to be imported into the EU (see
MEX/04/0121). The new Commission leaflet outlines the key obligations of
food and feed operators when it comes to food safety.
[07] Commission seeks clarification on Bt10 from US authorities and
Syngenta
The European Commission has written to the US authorities and to the
biotechnology company Syngenta requesting clarification of the situation
regarding the unauthorised genetically modified maize Bt10. According to
the information received to date from the US authorities and from Syngenta,
the developer of Bt10, up to 10 kg of Bt10 seed may have been exported
inadvertently as Bt11 for research purposes to Spain and France. The
resulting materials have all been destroyed. In addition, the Commission is
informed that an estimated 1000 metric tonnes of Bt10 food and feed
products may have entered the EU through the Bt11 export channels since
2001, the date from which the inadvertent release of Bt10 started. At a
meeting on 31 March with representatives of Syngenta, officials of the
Commission were informed that Bt10 included the gene conferring resistance
to the antibiotic ampicillin.
[08] Douanes : séminaire sur la contrefaçon (04-07/04, Budapest)
La Commission européenne organise, en collaboration avec l'administration
hongroise des douanes, un séminaire sur la lutte contre la contrefaçon et
le piratage qui se tiendra du 4 au 7 avril à Budapest, en Hongrie. Cette
manifestation réunira 130 experts en contrefaçon provenant des
administrations douanières des Etats membres, des principaux partenaires
commerciaux de l'UE tels que la Chine, les Etats-Unis et la Turquie et du
monde des affaires avec pour objectif d'échanger des informations sur les
dernières tendances et techniques de fraude. Le 6 avril, les participants
procéderont à des contrôles opérationnels à différents postes
frontières hongrois, sous la direction des meilleurs spécialistes en
analyse de risque appliquée aux douanes. Les journalistes sont invités Ã
participer à ces opérations et à assister à la conférence de presse, qui
sera donnée le 7 avril à 13 heures.
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Joe Borg : "Designing a European vision for the Oceans and Seas"
at inauguration of the 10th Annual EC Maritime Law Course of the IMO
International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) (Malta)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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