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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-01-29
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Mariann Fischer Boel calls for substantial preventive withdrawal from
the sugar market to avert probable surplus
[02] Reductions in deep-sea fisheries are inevitable
[03] Benita Ferrero-Waldner to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Aziz
[04] Benita Ferrero-Waldner to meet Adriy Kluyev
[05] Rail passenger and goods transport : passenger transport up by 2.2% in
2005 in the EU25 ; goods transport stable
[06] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2007-01-29
Reference: MEX/07/0129
Date: 29/01/2007
EXME07 / 29.1
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
29/01/07
[01] Mariann Fischer Boel calls for substantial preventive withdrawal from
the sugar market to avert probable surplus
The European Commission today took the first steps in a process towards a
substantial withdrawal of quota sugar from the market, in order to avoid a
significant surplus at the end of the season. Withdrawal means a temporary
reduction in the amount of sugar producers can produce under their quota.
As such, a proportion of the sugar produced in the 2007/2008 marketing year
will either have to be counted against the quota for 2008/2009 or be sold
as out of quota sugar for industrial use, i.e. for bioethanol, chemical
industry, etc. The Commission believes that a provisional figure for
withdrawal of at least 2 million tonnes, i.e. corresponding to 12% of the
quota, will be necessary. It will make a proposal to the Management
Committee in February for a Commission Regulation fixing such a provisional
figure. A definitive figure will be set later this year towards October,
once the Commission has a clearer picture of the harvest and production of
sugar.
[02] Reductions in deep-sea fisheries are inevitable
The European Commission has warned that reductions in catches of deep sea
species are inevitable either through choice to conserve the stocks
concerned or by force as they become fished to depletion. This warning is
contained in a review of the management of deep-sea stocks fisheries since
their inception a few years ago. The Commission concludes that some of the
measures have serious shortcomings, due in part to the dearth of
information on the fisheries concerned and in part to reluctance by Member
States to curb what are in many cases new fisheries. Weaknesses in
implementation have compounded the problems. Action is therefore needed to
improve data collection and to increase cooperation among all interested
parties.
[03] Benita Ferrero-Waldner to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Aziz
On 30th January European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-
Waldner will meet the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz. The
Commissioner and the Prime Minister will discuss bilateral relations
including development funding, as well as regional issues including
Pakistan's relations with India and Afghanistan. Pakistan is an important
partner for the EU and relations have already substantially deepened over
the past years.
[04] Benita Ferrero-Waldner to meet Adriy Kluyev
On 30 January, European Commissioner for External Relations and European
Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner will meet with Ukrainian deputy
Prime Minister Adriy Kluyev. The aim of the meeting is to take stock of the
EU-Ukraine relationship and implementation of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan.
Topics will include the political and economic reform process in Ukraine
and progress made by Ukraine towards WTO accession. The meeting will
further discuss preparations for the launching of negotiations on a
comprehensive and ambitious new Enhanced Agreement between the EU and
Ukraine. Further issues will be energy security and Ukraine's role as a
transit country for energy resources, as well as the current internal
political situation in Ukraine.
[05] Rail passenger and goods transport : passenger transport up by 2.2% in
2005 in the EU25 ; goods transport stable
Rail passenger transport in the EU25 rose from 350 billion passenger-
kilometres in 2004 to 357 billion in 2005, an increase of 2.2%. The Member
States who showed the highest growth in rail passenger transport between
2004 and 2005 were Estonia (+28%), Ireland (+13%), Greece and Latvia (both
+10%), while the largest decreases were observed in Lithuania and Hungary
(both -9%). In 2005, France (76 billion passenger-kilometres, +3% between
2004 and 2005), Germany (75 billion, +3%), Italy (46 billion, +1%) and the
United Kingdom (44 billion, +3%) accounted for almost 70% of the EU25
volume of rail passenger transport. Rail freight transport in the EU25 was
almost stable between 2004 and 2005 at 392 billion tonne-kilometres. The
highest increases were found in Lithuania (+7%), Latvia and Portugal (both
+6%), and the largest decreases in Luxembourg (-34%), Ireland (-24%) and
Denmark (-15%). Germany (95 billion tonne-kilometres, +4% between 2004 and
2005), Poland (50 billion, -5%), France (41 billion, -10%), Italy (23
billion, +3%) and the United Kingdom (22 billion, -1%) accounted for almost
60% of the EU25 volume of freight transport by rail. These figures are
published in two reports from Eurostat on rail passenger and freight
transport in the EU in 2005.
[06] Autre matériel diffusé
Note on preparation of Eurogroup and Economic and Finance ministers Council
(29-30/01)
Statement from Vice-president Frattini on the occasion of the International
Day of Commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust (27/01)
Déclaration du vice-président Frattini à l'occasion de la journée de la
protection des données (28/01)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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