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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 05-10-28
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission disappointed with WTO arbitrators' ruling against proposed
banana import tariff
[02] La Commission rejette les demandes présentées par le Portugal et
l'Italie visant lui faire prendre en considération les effets du projet
de concentration "Gas Natural/Endesa" sur leur marché
[03] Commission clears acquisition of Fitness First by BC Funds
[04] October 2005 : Business Climate Indicator for the euro area continues
to improve
[05] October 2005 : strong upturn of economic sentiment in both the EU and
the euro area
[06] Flash estimate - October 2005 : Euro-zone inflation estimated at 2.5%
[07] Economic Partnership Agreements : EU and West Africa agree next phase
of negotiations
[08] Commission helps to advance food safety and food quality research
[09] Ministerial Conference within the framework of the Baltic Sea Region
Energy Cooperation (BASREC)
[10] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2005-10-28
Reference: MEX/05/1028
Date: 28/10/2005
EXME05 / 28.10
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Presse etb
Communication
28/10/05
[01] Commission disappointed with WTO arbitrators' ruling against proposed
banana import tariff
The European Commission will study carefully the implications of decision
by the World Trade Organisation's arbitrators on 27 October to reject the
proposed new import tariff for bananas. The Commission had proposed a
single tariff of €187 per tonne for bananas imported from countries -
mainly in Latin America - enjoying Most Favoured Nation status, as well as
a duty-free quota of 775,000 tonnes for ACP bananas, as from 1 January
2006. It is regrettable that the arbitrators did not use this opportunity
to provide more clarity as to how this long-standing dispute could be
resolved.
[02] La Commission rejette les demandes présentées par le Portugal et
l'Italie visant lui faire prendre en considération les effets du projet
de concentration "Gas Natural/Endesa" sur leur marché
La Commission européenne a décidé qu'elle n'était pas mieux
placée que les autorités de concurrence portugaise et italienne pour
examiner les effets du projet de rachat d'Endesa par Gas Natural, deux
sociétés espagnoles, sur les marchés portugais et italien. Elle a donc
rejeté la demande de l'autorité portugaise de la concurrence, laquelle
s'était jointe l'autorité italienne, visant lui faire examiner les
effets de la concentration proposée sur les marchés portugais et italien.
Ces décisions sont sans préjudice de l'appréciation portée par la
Commission sur la dimension communautaire éventuelle de l'opération Gas
Natural/Endesa (et donc le cas échéant sur la compétence exclusive de la
Commission européenne pour statuer sur la concentration). Il conviendra,
pour cette appréciation, de vérifier si l'une des deux sociétés
réalise moins des deux tiers de son chiffre d'affaires dans un seul Etat
membre (l'Espagne), selon le mode de calcul prévu l'article 5 du
règlement sur les concentrations.
[03] Commission clears acquisition of Fitness First by BC Funds
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Fitness First Holdings
Limited (Fitness First) of the UK by BC Funds of the Channel Islands. BC
Funds are private equity funds managed by CIE Management II Limited (CIEM)
of the Channel Islands. Both BC Funds and CIEM are ultimately controlled by
the UK company BC Partners Holdings Limited. BC Funds are pure financial
investors and are as such not involved in the day-to-day management of the
companies they invest in. The Fitness First Group operates membership based
health and fitness clubs in the UK, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, Holland,
France, Italy and, Spain, as well as in countries outside the EEA. The
operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[04] October 2005 : Business Climate Indicator for the euro area continues
to improve
Following its constant improvement since June, the Business Climate
Indicator (BCI) for the euro area continued to rise in October. After
having risen above its long term average of zero in September, the upturn
in October further strengthened this position. The positive development of
the BCI in October was reflected in all underlying components. However, the
improvement of industry managers' opinions was more pronounced for the
export order books and the production expectations than for the total order
books, the production in recent months and the stocks of finished products.
[05] October 2005 : strong upturn of economic sentiment in both the EU and
the euro area
Economic sentiment continued to improve in October both in the EU and in
the euro area. At 1.7 points in the EU and 1.9 points in the euro area the
improvement was stronger than in previous months, indicating that the
economy has overcome the soft patch between autumn of last year and June of
this year. In both areas, the upturn in October lifted the economic
sentiment indicator (ESI) above the long-term average of 100.
[06] Flash estimate - October 2005 : Euro-zone inflation estimated at 2.5%
Euro-zone annual inflation is expected to be 2.5% in October 2005 according
to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat. It was 2.6% in September. Euro-zone
inflation is measured by the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices
(MUICP). To compute the MUICP flash estimates, Eurostat uses early price
information relating to the reference month from Member States for which
data are available as well as early information about energy prices. The
flash estimation procedure for the MUICP combines historical information
with partial information on price developments in the most recent months to
give a total index for the euro-zone. No detailed breakdown is available.
Experience has shown the procedure to be reliable (12 times exactly
anticipating the inflation rate, 11 times differing by 0.1 and once
differing by 0.2, in January 2005, over the last two years). Further
information can be found in Eurostat News Release 113/2001 of 5 November
2001.
[07] Economic Partnership Agreements : EU and West Africa agree next phase
of negotiations
The European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson met with West African
Ministers on the 27th October in Brussels to agree on the next phase of the
Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations between the two regions.
Ministers agreed to start negotiations in 2006 and endorsed a calendar
setting out a precise timetable for the talks. This will mean starting work
on drafting the text and legal provisions of the EPA and issues connected
with market access, including the effect of an EPA on productive sectors in
West Africa.
[08] Commission helps to advance food safety and food quality research
A workshop entitled "Food Safety and Quality in support to EU Policies"
will take place at the National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia on 28-29
October 2005 with participants from nine different countries. European
Commissioner for Science and Research, Dr Janez Potočnik, the Slovenian
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technologies, Dr Jure Zupan, and
the Director of the National Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana, Dr Peter
Venturini , will officially open a new €3,5 million experimental
infrastructure at the Institute. The experimental equipment includes a new
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) 800 MHz spectrometer. This is the largest
scientific equipment of its type ever installed in Slovenia and one of the
biggest in Europe.
[09] Ministerial Conference within the framework of the Baltic Sea Region
Energy Cooperation (BASREC)
On 28 October Andris Piebalgs, Energy Commissioner, addressed the
Ministerial Conference organised within the framework of the Baltic Sea
Region Energy Cooperation (BASREC). At the conference, held in Reykjavik,
in Iceland, the country currently holding the yearly Presidency in the
Council of the Baltic Sea States, the Commissioner said that regional
energy cooperation, including cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, is an
important tool for addressing the current energy challenges, including
security of energy supply and sustainable development.
[10] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Janez Potočnik : "Educate to Innovate: Creating and
Disseminating Knowledge" at EIB Annual Forum 2005 (Helsinki)
Opening remarks by Margot Wallström at meeting with the Federalist Inter-
Group for the European Constitution (26/10, Strasbourg)
Calendrier du 31 octobre au 5 novembre 2005
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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