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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 06-11-14
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Customs: WTO rejects US claims and confirms the regime for EU customs
administrations meets high standards
[02] Commission reports on positive growth of rail interoperability
[03] Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner to attend first Euro-Mediterranean
Ministerial Conference on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society 14-15
November
[04] Le commissaire chargé de la science et de la recherche en visite dans
l’ancienne République yougoslave de Macédoine
[05] Ferrero-Waldner on adoption of Action Plan for South Caucasus
[06] Commissioner Kyprianou participates in WHO Ministerial conference on
obesity in Turkey
[07] Commission welcomes progress towards creation of Fisheries
Organisation in South Pacific but regrets missed opportunity
[08] Flash estimates for the third quarter of 2006 -Euro area GDP up by
0.5% and EU25 GDP up by 0.6% - +2.6% and +2.8% respectively compared to the
third quarter of 2005
[09] Rédiffusion
[10] Mergers: Commission approves proposed merger between Nokia and Siemens
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2006-11-14
Reference: MEX/06/1114
Date: 14/11/2006
EXME06 / 14.11
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
14/11/06
[01] Customs: WTO rejects US claims and confirms the regime for EU customs
administrations meets high standards
The European Commission welcomes the report of the Appellate Body of World
Trade Organisation's circulated today, which confirms that the EC regime
for customs administration, which involves millions of transactions every
year, meets WTO standards. The report rejects the unsubstantiated claims of
the US on the EC customs regime and reverses two specific violation
findings made by an earlier report. This confirms the right of the European
Community (and any WTO Member) to decide on how to best organise its
customs administration, including judicial review of the decisions of its
customs authorities.
[02] Commission reports on positive growth of rail interoperability
The European Commission has adopted its second report on the progress of
interoperability across European railways. The report examines growth of
rail interoperability and implementation of rail legislation across the
Member States. The key finding of the report is that interoperability –
the seamless movement of trains across the European rail network – has
improved and now covers both high speed and conventional rail networks.
[03] Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner to attend first Euro-Mediterranean
Ministerial Conference on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society 14-15
November
For the first time, the 35 members of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership
are meeting at ministerial level to discuss how to strengthen the role of
women in society on both sides of the Mediterranean sea. The European
Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy,
Benita Ferrero-Waldner will represent the Commission at the conference
which is being held on 14-15 November in Istanbul. The conference is being
held in line with the Five Year Work Programme agreed on during the 10th
Anniversary Barcelona Summit in 2005. The Istanbul conference will approve
ministerial conclusions that include a short political declaration and a
work plan to boost women’s role in the political, social, economic,
educational and cultural spheres, and will guide the mobilisation of funds
for gender equality from all Euromed partners
[04] Le commissaire chargé de la science et de la recherche en visite dans
l’ancienne République yougoslave de Macédoine
Le commissaire européen chargé de la science et de la recherche, Janez
Potočnik, fera sa première visite officielle dans l’ancienne
République yougoslave de Macédoine les 15 et 16 novembre 2006. Le
commissaire Potočnik rencontrera le premier ministre Nikola Gruevski,
Gabriela Konevska, vice-premier ministre en charge de l’intégration
européenne, et Sulejman Rushiti, ministre de l’éducation et des
sciences. Au cours de ce déplacement, il visitera l’Institut d’études
sismologiques (IZIIS) et interviendra devant des universitaires et des
entrepreneurs sur le thème de la contribution de la recherche
l’intégration européenne. Ce voyage s’inscrit dans une série de
visites aux pays candidats l’adhésion l’UE destinées mettre en
lumière ce que la science et la recherche peuvent apporter au processus
d’intégration de ces pays.
[05] Ferrero-Waldner on adoption of Action Plan for South Caucasus
Today the EU and Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, are adopting three joint
Action Plans under the European Neighbourhood Policy. Commissioner for
External Relations and and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-
Waldner welcomes the three decisions, which will boost relations between
the EU and each of the countries concerned, as well as regional co
operation. Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said: "I believe today opens a new
chapter in our relations with each of our three partners and with the
region as a whole. The Action Plans offer new opportunities that will bring
concrete benefits to people throughout the region. It will mean a lot of
work for both sides – but the Commission stands ready to support you with
both technical expertise and financial resources every step of the way.
These Action Plans have been developed jointly between the EU and each of
the partners. They reflect priorities for the future that we have
identified together and which we both have committed to implementing in the
next five years. I am looking forward to working with you!" The texts of
the Action Plans with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia will be available at
LINK as soon as adopted.
[06] Commissioner Kyprianou participates in WHO Ministerial conference on
obesity in Turkey
Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection,
will visit Turkey from 14-17 November, to attend the WHO Ministerial
conference on obesity in Istanbul. The conference will bring together high
level representatives from over 35 countries in the WHO Europe region, with
a view to giving political impetus to the campaign against obesity and the
promotion of healthier nutrition and lifestyles. The ultimate aim of the
conference is to obtain agreement on a Charter on Counteracting Obesity,
which will provide political guidance for future action in this area.
Commissioner Kyprianou will urge support for the Charter and underline the
importance of coordinated action on obesity, nutrition and health across
the whole of Europe. During his trip to Turkey, the Commissioner will also
hold bi-lateral meetings with the Turkish Minister for Health, Recep Akdağ
and Minister for Agriculture Mehmet Mehdi Eker. It will be an opportunity
for him to discuss with them a wide range of public health, animal health
and food safety issues, in light of Turkey’s pre-accession arrangements.
[07] Commission welcomes progress towards creation of Fisheries
Organisation in South Pacific but regrets missed opportunity
The European Commission has welcomed the progress made at the second
meeting on the setting up of a regional fisheries management organisation
(RFMO), to manage non-tuna fish stocks in the South Pacific in Hobart,
Australia, last week. At the same time, it regrets that the opportunity was
not seized upon to implement voluntary interim measures to manage bottom
gear fishing activities: an issue of major international concern. The
Commission believes that this would have been possible had all Parties to
the meeting focused on core issues rather than trying to deal with
peripheral issues relating to Jack Mackerel, a species which is in a good
situation according to scientific and fisheries information. The Commission
presented a targeted and effective proposal to address destructive fishing
practices. This proposal related to both the legal framework of a new
Convention, based on the latest reforms of RFMOs such as in the North-West
Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NAFO), and for a range of voluntary interim
measures which would have entered into force in the short term. These would
have led to an immediate “freezing” of the current level of fishing
activities with bottom gears and facilitated the collection of data and
information on the fisheries in the area. Progress was made on both
dossiers but they were not finalised at this meeting. The progress achieved
at the meeting includes agreement on future sharing of data and information
on the fishing activities in the area, on strengthened cooperation between
scientists and on extending research on the fish stocks in the area. The
South Pacific is one of the few remaining parts of the Oceans which is not
yet regulated by an RFMO for non-tuna species. A first meeting for the
establishment of the organisation took place in New Zealand, in February
2006. A 3rd meeting will be held in Chile from 30 April to 4 May 2007. The
EU is confident that the parties will conclude the negotiations at this
meeting in order to ensure the establishment of an RFMO in the area as soon
as possible, as well as the implementation of interim measures.
[08] Flash estimates for the third quarter of 2006 -Euro area GDP up by
0.5% and EU25 GDP up by 0.6% - +2.6% and +2.8% respectively compared to the
third quarter of 2005
GDP grew by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU25 during the third
quarter of 2006, compared to the previous quarter, according to flash
estimates published by Eurostat. In the second quarter of 2006, growth
rates were +0.9% in both the euro area and the EU25. Compared to the same
quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP grew by 2.6% in the
euro area and by 2.8% in the EU25 in the third quarter of 2006, after +2.7%
and +2.9% respectively in the previous quarter. During the third quarter of
2006, US GDP increased by 0.4% compared to the previous quarter, after
+0.6% in the second quarter. Compared to the third quarter of 2005, GDP
grew by 2.9% in the US, after +3.5% in the previous quarter.
[09] Rédiffusion
[10] Mergers: Commission approves proposed merger between Nokia and Siemens
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed merger between the Finnish company Nokia and the network equipment
business of the German company Siemens AG. The Commission concluded that
the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the
European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Siim Kallas at the European Parliament Plenary Session in
Strasbourg
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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