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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 05-06-24
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] The Council adopts Drugs Action Plan for 2005-2008
[02] Déclaration de Franco Frattini à l'occasion de la journée
internationale de lutte contre la drogue (26/06)
[03] Environment : new directive strengthens citizens' rights to
participate in public decision-making
[04] Commission approves Strabag take over of Walter Bau ; refers Hamburg
asphalt market review to Federal Cartel Office
[05] L'UE et les pays ACP signent l'Accord de Cotonou révisé
[06] Commission adopts negotiating proposal for services and investment
talks with Mediterranean countries
[07] European Member States back new EU Generalised System of Preferences
[08] Benita Ferrero-Waldner Ă Alger
[09] L'échange de bonnes pratiques est la clé de l'amélioration de
l'environnement des petites entreprises
[10] Opening of the XVth Mediterranean Games in Almeria
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2005-06-24
Reference: MEX/05/0624
Date: 24/06/2005
EXME05 / 24.6
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
24/06/05
[01] The Council adopts Drugs Action Plan for 2005-2008
The Council will endorse on Monday 27 June 2005 the EU Drugs Action Plan
for the next four years, on the basis of the European Commission's proposal
put forward last February. The main aim of the Plan is to significantly
reduce the prevalence of drug use among the Union's population and to
reduce the social harm and health damage caused by the use of and trade in
illicit drugs.
[02] Déclaration de Franco Frattini à l'occasion de la journée
internationale de lutte contre la drogue (26/06)
Le vice-président de la Commission européenne, Franco Frattini, a
déclaré : "Le 26 juin, Journée internationale de lutte contre la drogue
proclamée par les Nations unies en 1987, il est important de rappeler que
la consommation et le trafic de drogue constituent un phénomène mondial,
qui menace la santé des personnes et la stabilité des sociétés,
entraînant décès, maladies, criminalité et corruption. La consommation
de drogue, notamment chez les jeunes, atteint aujourd’hui des niveaux
records. La propagation du VIH dans la population toxicomane est Ă©galement
source de préoccupations croissantes."
[03] Environment : new directive strengthens citizens' rights to
participate in public decision-making
Stronger rules enabling citizens in Europe to have their say before public
authorities take decisions affecting the environment became binding on all
Member States tomorrow (25 June). The directive, approved by the Council
and Parliament in 2003, lays down rules giving individuals and associations
the right to express their opinion to national, regional or local public
authorities before these decide on, for example, waste management plans or
the sitting of a new industrial plant. To date, five Member States have
notified the Commission of their national measures transposing the
directive. The new law is one of several steps being taken by the Community
to bring its rules into line with the 1998 Aarhus Convention, which grants
citizens access to environmental information, provides for public
participation in environmental decision-making and allows citizens to seek
redress when environmental law is infringed. A directive giving the public
better access to environmental information entered into force earlier this
year (see IP/05/173). A Regulation that will apply the Convention's
provisions to Community institutions and bodies and a directive on access
to justice are under discussion with the Council and Parliament. More
information can be found at <a href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/aarhus/index.htm">http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/aarhus/index.htm
[04] Commission approves Strabag take over of Walter Bau ; refers Hamburg
asphalt market review to Federal Cartel Office
Acting under the EU Merger Regulation, the European Commission has given
the Austrian firm Bauholding Strabag SE (Strabag) the go-ahead to take over
parts of the bankrupt German construction company Walter Bau-AG (Walter
Bau). The Commission concluded that the operation will not significantly
impede effective competition in the EEA or any substantial part of it, as
the parties' combined market shares on the relevant markets in Germany will
be limited and there will be only a slight increase in the market share in
Austria. At the same time, the Commission has referred the assessment of
the impact of the operation on the Hamburg regional asphalt market to
Germany’s Federal Cartel Office.
[05] L'UE et les pays ACP signent l'Accord de Cotonou révisé
L'Accord de Cotonou révisé sera signé demain au Luxembourg par l'Union
européenne et 76 pays d'Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique (ACP). Les
nouvelles dispositions couvrent un large Ă©ventail de sujets, y compris une
disposition pour renforcer le dialogue politique et des références à la
lutte contre le terrorisme, la coopération dans la lutte contre la
prolifération des armes de destruction massive et la Cour Pénale
Internationale (CPI).
[06] Commission adopts negotiating proposal for services and investment
talks with Mediterranean countries
The European Commission has today adopted a proposal to open negotiations
on the liberalisation of services and investment with the EU's
Mediterranean partners. These negotiations will mark an important step
towards the creation of a genuine free trade area around the Mediterranean,
as envisaged in the Barcelona Declaration of 1992. The liberalisation of
services and investment will bring considerable economic benefits
throughout the Euro-Med zone, and can be part of a wider strategy to boost
trade within the region itself.
[07] European Member States back new EU Generalised System of Preferences
On 23 June, EU Member States backed European Trade Commissioner Peter
Mandelson's reform of the EU's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP).
Agreement by Member States, led by the Luxembourg Presidency, breaks a
three month deadlock in Council that has delayed the adoption of the new
preferential access system. The reform of the GSP will make the EU's system
of preferential market access for developing countries both simpler and
fairer. While the new GSP system as a whole will apply from 1 January 2006,
application of the GSP Plus incentive system, which grants additional
preferences to vulnerable developing countries that pursue good governance
and sustainable development policies, will be fast tracked to apply from 1
July 2005.
[08] Benita Ferrero-Waldner Ă Alger
Mme Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissaire européenne aux Relations
extérieures et à la Politique européenne de voisinage, se rendra en
Algérie les 26 et 27 juin, pour discuter de la relance du dialogue
politique à la lumière de la ratification de l'Accord d'association
survenue au mois de mars dernier. Dans ses entretiens, notamment avec le
Président de la République, M. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, et le ministre des
Affaires étrangères, M. Mohamed Bedjaoui, elle discutera des étapes
concrètes à suivre pour exploiter pleinement le potentiel de cet Accord
d'association.
[09] L'échange de bonnes pratiques est la clé de l'amélioration de
l'environnement des petites entreprises
Les questions de savoir comment faciliter la vie aux petites entreprises et
stimuler l'activité économique des PME ont été débattues lors d'une
conférence sur la Charte européenne des petites entreprises organisée
conjointement par la Commission européenne et la présidence
luxembourgeoise Ă Luxembourg, les 15 et 16 juin. A l'ordre du jour de cette
conférence figuraient l'éducation à l'esprit d'entreprise,
l'amélioration de la réglementation, notamment le droit de la faillite et
l'évaluation d'impact, ainsi que le déficit de compétences, en
particulier les mesures visant à surmonter la pénurie de techniciens et
d'ingénieurs qualifiés. Le processus instauré par la Charte compare les
progrès accomplis par les différents Etats membres dans l'amélioration
de l'environnement des PME et facilite l'Ă©change de bonnes pratiques.
[10] Opening of the XVth Mediterranean Games in Almeria
European Commissioner Ján Figel' will attend tonight the opening ceremony
of the XVth Mediterranean Game which will gather in Almeria (Spain)
athletes from 21 countries, including 7 Member States of the EU (Cyprus,
France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia and Spain) and 2 candidate countries
(Croatia and Turkey). At the request of the European Parliament, the
Commission will support – for a total amount of €1,5 million - a
cultural programme which will take place in parallel to the sporting
competitions of this fifteenth edition of the Games. These actions will
highlight the cultural and educational dimension of sport and aim at
facilitating exchanges of Euro-Mediterranean youth, social educators and
other stakeholders.
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Signature de l'accord révisé de Cotonou - questions et réponses
Préparation du Conseil Transports (27/06, Luxembourg)
Speech by Neelie Kroes : "Competition Law and the Liberalisation of the
Polish Market" at Dutch-Polish Chamber of Commerce Conference (Warsaw)
Calendrier du 27 juin au 3 juillet
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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