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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-05-07
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Prévisions économiques de printemps pour 2007-2008 : emploi et
finances publiques devraient continuer à s'améliorer dans un contexte de
croissance vigoureuse
[02] Sugar reform : Commission proposes to improve sugar restructuring
scheme
[03] SOLVIT : le réseau de résolution de problèmes à l'échelle de l'UE
continue d'apporter des solutions rapides et efficaces mais souffre d'un
manque de soutien au niveau national
[04] Direct taxation : Commission asks nine Member States for information
on discriminatory taxation of dividends and interest paid to foreign
pension funds
[05] La Commission autorise l'acquisition de TPHST par Teleperformance et
The Phone House SAS
[06] Commission clears acquisition of Millenium by CERP Rouen and Sanacorp
[07] La Commission autorise l'acquisition conjointe de Servepar par Accor
et Groupama
[08] Commission approves proposed acquisition of MyTravel Group by
KarstadtQuelle
[09] Stavros Dimas at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
[10] Danuta Hübner receives in Sofia the "Doctor Honoris Causa award" from
the UNWE
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2007-05-07
Reference: MEX/07/0507
Date: 07/05/2007
EXME07 / 7.5
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
07/05/07
[01] Prévisions économiques de printemps pour 2007-2008 : emploi et
finances publiques devraient continuer à s'améliorer dans un contexte de
croissance vigoureuse
Selon les prévisions économiques de printemps de la Commission
européenne, l'économie de l'Union européenne devrait croître de 2,9% en
2007 et de 2,7% en 2008 (2,6% et 2,5%, respectivement, pour la zone euro),
grâce à la vigueur de l'investissement et à une consommation privée plus
soutenue. Ces niveaux de croissance impliquent, pour les deux zones, une
révision à la hausse de ½ point de pourcentage en 2007 par rapport aux
prévisions de l'automne. Près de neuf millions de nouveaux emplois
devraient être créés entre 2006 et 2008 dans l'ensemble de l'UE, dont
six millions dans la seule zone euro, ce qui contribuera à faire passer le
taux de chômage de l'UE sous la barre des 7% en 2008 (contre 8¾% en
2005). L'amélioration des finances publiques se poursuivra sous l'effet de
la reprise économique : le déficit des administrations publiques dans
l'UE et dans la zone euro devrait en effet être ramené à environ 1%,
niveau inégalé depuis de nombreuses années. L'inflation devrait rester
contenue, même si la période de prévision devrait être marquée par une
légère remontée de l'inflation sous-jacente, conséquence de la nouvelle
hausse des prix du pétrole et de la reprise conjoncturelle.
[02] Sugar reform : Commission proposes to improve sugar restructuring
scheme
The European Commission today proposed changes to the sugar restructuring
scheme aimed at making it more effective and thus reducing European Union
sugar production to sustainable levels. The restructuring scheme was a key
element of the 2006 reform of the Common Market Organisation for sugar,
offering producers who would be uncompetitive at the new lower price a
financial incentive to leave the sector. Unfortunately, much less quota has
been renounced during the first two years of the scheme than anticipated
and changes therefore have to be made to make it more attractive. The main
changes proposed are that the percentage of the aid given to growers and
machinery contractors should be fixed at 10 percent, but growers who
renounce quota will get an additional payment, paid retroactively to avoid
penalising those who have already given up their quotas. A new element is
that beet growers could apply directly for aid from the restructuring fund,
up to a certain limit. As an additional incentive for companies to
participate, those which renounce a certain amount of their quota in
2008/09 will be exempted from paying the restructuring levy on the part of
their quota which was subject to preventive withdrawal in the 2007/2008
marketing year. The Commission believes that the changes proposed should
allow the renunciation of about 3.8 million tonnes of sugar quota in
addition to the 2.2Â million tonnes given up so far. If insufficient quota
has been renounced by 2010, the Commission also proposes that the level of
compulsory quota cut would vary depending on how much quota each Member
State had renounced under the restructuring scheme. The Commission hopes
that the Council and Parliament can adopt the proposal by October at the
latest.
[03] SOLVIT : le réseau de résolution de problèmes à l'échelle de l'UE
continue d'apporter des solutions rapides et efficaces mais souffre d'un
manque de soutien au niveau national
En 2006, le réseau SOLVIT de l'Union européenne a maintenu le cap en
proposant aux citoyens et aux entreprises des solutions rapides et
efficaces à des problèmes concrets liés à une application incorrecte de
la législation de l'UE par les administrations nationales. Cependant, au
niveau national, davantage de publicité et de ressources en personnel sont
aujourd'hui nécessaires pour que les possibilités du réseau puissent
être pleinement exploitées. C'est ce que conclut le rapport annuel de la
Commission européenne sur le fonctionnement du réseau SOLVIT. Il souligne
également que si le nombre de cas traités au cours de l'année est
demeuré stable, le pourcentage de cas résolus est resté élevé et la
durée moyenne de traitement a été considérablement écourtée. En outre,
l'intérêt manifesté pour le réseau SOLVIT incite un nombre croissant
d'Etats membres à se montrer plus actifs dans l'alignement des règles
nationales sur le droit européen.
[04] Direct taxation : Commission asks nine Member States for information
on discriminatory taxation of dividends and interest paid to foreign
pension funds
The European Commission has decided to send requests for information in the
form of letters of formal notice to the Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain,
Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden about
their rules under which dividend and/or interest payments to foreign
pension funds (outbound payments) may be taxed more heavily than dividend
and/or interest payments to domestic pension funds (domestic payments). The
Commission doubts whether such higher taxation is compatible with the EC
Treaty and with the EEA Agreement, as it may restrict the free movement of
capital. The Member States involved are asked to reply within two months. A
letter of formal notice is the first step of the infringement procedure of
Article 226 of the EC Treaty.
[05] La Commission autorise l'acquisition de TPHST par Teleperformance et
The Phone House SAS
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement
Concentrations, le projet d'acquisition conjoint de l'entreprise française
TPHST par Teleperformance S.A. de la France et The Phone House SAS, filiale
française de la société Carphone Warehouse du Royaume-Uni.
Teleperformance et TPHST gèrent des centrales téléphoniques ("call
centres"). Carphone Warehouse distribue des produits et des services liés
aux téléphones portables. Il ressort de l'enquête menée par la
Commission que l'opération envisagée n'entravera pas de manière
significative la concurrence dans le marché commun. Cette affaire a été
traitée selon la procédure simplifiée.
[06] Commission clears acquisition of Millenium by CERP Rouen and Sanacorp
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of a newly created company
constituting a joint venture, Millennium, by CERP Rouen S.A. of France and
Sanacorp Pharmahandel AG (Sanacorp) of Germany. CERP Rouen is active in the
wholesale of pharmaceuticals and related services in France and Belgium and
the supply of home-care equipment, IT services and financing to pharmacies.
Sanacorp is active in the wholesale of pharmaceuticals and related services
in Germany. Millennium will combine the parent companies' activities in the
wholesale of pharmaceuticals and related services in France, Belgium and
Germany. The operation was examined under the simplified merger review
procedure.
[07] La Commission autorise l'acquisition conjointe de Servepar par Accor
et Groupama
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement
Concentrations, le projet d'acquisition par lequel l'entreprise française
Groupama acquiert le contrôle en commun de la société française
Servepar, à présent contrôlée par le groupe Accor S.A. (Accor) de la
France. Groupama est actif principalement dans les domaines de l'assurance,
de la banque et des services. Accor est actif dans le secteur de
l'hôtellerie et dans la conception et la fourniture de services aux
entreprises et aux collectivités, notamment à travers l'émission de
titres de services. Servepar est une société active dans le domaine de la
gestion d'actif, amenée, à terme, à se spécialiser dans la distribution
de produits d'épargne salariale. Il ressort de l'enquête menée par la
Commission que l'opération envisagée n'entravera pas de manière
significative la concurrence dans le marché commun. Cette affaire a été
traitée selon la procédure simplifiée.
[08] Commission approves proposed acquisition of MyTravel Group by
KarstadtQuelle
The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed acquisition of MyTravel Group PLC, a UK travel group, by
KarstadtQuelle AG, a German department store and mail order company, active
in tour operating via the Thomas Cook Group. The Commission has concluded
that the proposed transaction would not significantly impede effective
competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it.
[09] Stavros Dimas at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas will participate in the
ministerial segment of the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission
on Sustainable Development (CSD) in New York from 9 to 11 May. The session
will complete a two-year cycle of discussions focusing on energy, climate
change, industrial development and air pollution. The main outcome is
expected to be a document identifying the key policy measures to accelerate
countries' implementation of measures in these areas. The discussions on
climate change are intended to complement complement and set in a wider
policy context the discussions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change, which will be taking place in parallel at official level in Bonn,
Germany. Commissioner Dimas will also hold bilateral discussions on climate
change and other issues with ministers from a number of non-EU countries.
[10] Danuta Hübner receives in Sofia the "Doctor Honoris Causa award" from
the UNWE
European Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner received today the
honorary title of "Doctor Honoris Causa" of the University of National and
World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia, Bulgaria. Professor Borislav Vorisov, rector
of the university awarded the prize in the presence of academia
representatives and students. "Enlargement, the most powerful policy of the
Union, has helped to transform countries across the continent into
functioning democracies where the principles of liberty, the respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law are firmly
established. It has been a catalyst for modernisation, for the transition
to market economies, promoting the prosperity and well-being of our
citizens. And it has created the largest and most integrated community of
democracies in the world", stated Commissioner Hübner at the award
ceremony during her lecture on "Where is Europe going?". Commissioner
Hübner also met Bulgarian Finance Minister, Mr Plamen Oresharski.
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Preparation of Eurogroup and Economic and Finance Ministers Council (07-
08/05)
Providing policy-makers and practitioners with practical tools to improve
integration policies: the second edition of the Handbook on Integration
12 new projects for the integration of third-country nationals have been
selected under the INTI Programme
Speech by Joe Borg : "Bremen shows that we are on the right track" at High-
level Conference 'Towards a Future Maritime Policy for the Union: A
European Vision for Oceans and Seas' (04/05, Bremen)
Speech by Leonard Orban : "The European Union in the next ten years" at
Charles University (04/05, Prague)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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