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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-07-31
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] New regulation paves the way to reducing confiscation of duty free
liquids at community airports for passengers arriving from third countries
[02] Stavros Dimas welcomes Michel Barnier idea on a rapid reaction force
on forest fires
[03] European Union helps former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to tackle
forest fires
[04] Commission clears acquisition of Bavaria Yachtbau by Bain Capital
[05] July 2007 : Business Climate Indicator for the euro area declines in
July
[06] July 2007 : Economic sentiment weakens in both the EU and the euro
area
[07] Euro area unemployment stable at 6.9%
[08] Euro area inflation estimated at 1.8%
[09] Commission publishes prospects for agricultural markets and income
2007-2014
[10] Partenariat novateur entre la Commission et le PAM concernant les
dépôts des NU pour les actions humanitaires (UNHRD)
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2007-07-31
Reference: MEX/07/0731
Date: 31/07/2007
EXME07 / 31.7
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
31/07/07
[01] New regulation paves the way to reducing confiscation of duty free
liquids at community airports for passengers arriving from third countries
Today the European Commission adopted a regulation to address the
disruption faced by air passengers who arrive from third countries carrying
duty free liquids bought abroad and who wish to transfer at an EU airport.
At present, any quantity of liquid bought outside the EU that is greater
than the limited amounts currently permitted in hand-baggage must be
abandoned at the EU airport since there is no way of checking that it has
been subject to similar security standards as liquids on sale in EU
airports. The Regulation will allow the Commission to verify whether
equivalent standards are applied in a third country and whether the overall
standard of aviation security is satisfactory, thereby allowing liquids
bought in duty free shops there to be allowed on aircraft in the EU. This
will allow transit passengers arriving from these countries to carry their
purchases onto their internal EU flight.
[02] Stavros Dimas welcomes Michel Barnier idea on a rapid reaction force
on forest fires
Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for Environment and Civil Protection,
today welcomed the idea of former Commissioner Michel Barnier on a rapid
reaction force on forest fires. Mr Barnier is the author of a report on a
European civil protection force, where he proposes the creation of a
European force that could immediately react in emergencies like the recent
forest fires. This idea becomes timelier now after the ravaging fires that
are still taking place in Southern Europe. Yesterday, French President
Nicolas Sarkozy and Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis called for a
closer cooperation in this field that goes beyond the traditional voluntary
pooling of resources.
[03] European Union helps former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to tackle
forest fires
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia requested EU assistance to fight
the fires that have been ravaging through its woodlands these last days. As
the EU candidate country struggles to quell them, it has turned to the
Community Mechanism for Civil Protection for support. The European
Commission and participating states to the Mechanism responded with a
substantial amount of assistance making its way to the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia. Concurrently the Community Mechanism for Civil
Protection has also been activated for forest fires in Albania, Bulgaria,
and Greece and Italy.
[04] Commission clears acquisition of Bavaria Yachtbau by Bain Capital
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH
(Bavaria) by an entity controlled by Bain Capital Investors, LLC (Bain
Capital Investors). Bain is active in private equity investments and
Bavaria is a builder of sailing yachts and motor boats. The operation was
examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[05] July 2007 : Business Climate Indicator for the euro area declines in
July
After a slight increase in June, the Business Climate Indicator (BCI) for
the euro area decreased in July, while remaining at high levels. This
sustained high level suggests that economic activity in the industry sector
is expected to remain firm in the coming months, notwithstanding the
deceleration of industrial production growth in April and May 2007. The
decline of the BCI in July is the effect of minor but converging changes in
its five underlying components. Industry managers' assessment of their
stocks of finished products, production trend observed in recent months,
production expectations for the months ahead, total order books and export
order books all deteriorated somewhat.
[06] July 2007 : Economic sentiment weakens in both the EU and the euro
area
The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) declined in both the EU and the euro
area in July, while remaining at high levels. It decreased by 1.7 points in
the EU and by 0.7 of a point in the euro area, to 113.3 and 111.0
respectively.
[07] Euro area unemployment stable at 6.9%
Euro area (EA13) seasonally-adjusted unemployment stood at 6.9% in June
2007, unchanged compared to May. It was 7.9% in June 2006. The EU27
unemployment rate was also 6.9% in June 2007, compared with 7.0% in May. It
was 7.9% in June 2006.In June 2007, the lowest rates were registered in the
Netherlands (3.3%), Denmark (3.5%), Cyprus (3.9%) and Ireland (4.0%).
Unemployment rates were highest in Slovakia (10.7%) and Poland (10.2%).
These figures are published by Eurostat.
[08] Euro area inflation estimated at 1.8%
Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 1.8% in July 2007 according to
a flash estimate issued by Eurostat. It was 1.9% in June. Euro area
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 area. No detailed breakdown is available.
Experience has shown the procedure to be reliable (16 times exactly
anticipating the inflation rate and 8 times differing by 0.1 over the last
two years). Further information can be found in Eurostat News Release
113/2001 of 5 November 2001.
[09] Commission publishes prospects for agricultural markets and income
2007-2014
The Prospects for agricultural markets and income 2007-2014 cover cereals,
oilseeds, sugar, meat, eggs, milk and the main dairy products. The medium-
term projections depict a favourable outlook for the EU cereal markets with
largely balanced markets. The phasing out of maize intervention would
reduce the risks of regional imbalances and public stocks in Bulgaria,
Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. The sugar markets are characterised by
growing internal and world markets with the main risks related to the slow
take-up of restructuring as well as the high level of stocks which would
weigh heavily on the sugar industry post 2010. The poultry and pig meat
sector should also exhibit relatively favourable medium-term perspectives,
however with a slower growth than in the last decade. Beef production, on
the other hand is expected to fall as a consequence of the CAP reform and
the declining dairy herd, leading to the widening of the trade deficit. The
market balance for the major dairy products is expected to improve further
over the medium term, with increasing cheese production and consumption,
but lower availabilities of butter and SMP. The medium-term income
projections display a rather favourable outlook as the EU-27 agricultural
income would grow by 21% between 2006 and 2014 in real terms and per labour
unit (9.9% in the EU-15, 24.9% in the EU-10 and 71.8% in the EU-2). The
report is available at: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/publi/caprep/prospects2007a/index_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/publi/caprep/prospects2007a/index_en.htm
[10] Partenariat novateur entre la Commission et le PAM concernant les
dépôts des NU pour les actions humanitaires (UNHRD)
Le programme alimentaire mondial des Nations unies salue la contribution
inédite de €3 millions du service d'aide humanitaire de la Commission
européenne (DG ECHO) visant à renforcer le réseau mondial des centres HRD
composé de cinq dépôts répartis dans le monde et gérés par le PAM
pour le compte de la communauté internationale.
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
New regulation paves the way to reducing confiscation of duty free liquids
at community airports for passengers arriving from third countries - FAQs
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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