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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 08-12-09

Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] EU adopts new Safer Internet Programme: € 55 million to make the Internet a safer place for children
  • [02] Commissioner Hübner presents 'vulnerability index' report on challenges facing regions in 2020
  • [03] Les droits de l'enfant: le troisième Forum européen sur les droits de l'enfant et la cérémonie de remise des prix du concours "La protection j'y ai droit!"
  • [04] 10 décembre 2008 – Journée internationale des droits de l’homme
  • [05] Ten major new EU research infrastructures welcomed by European Commission
  • [06] Almost two thirds of enterprises in the EU27 had a website in 2008
  • [07] Commission clears acquisition of Altran by APAX Partners
  • [08] Cancer Meeting with MEPs: Cancer Screening Saves Lives
  • [09] Internal Market: International Auditing Conference
  • [10] Aide d'État: la Commission autorise le régime français de renforcement des fonds propres de certains établissements de crédit
  • [11] 15 companies ready to join the SESAR Joint Undertaking
  • [12] Member States approve the phasing-out of incan-descent bulbs by 2012
  • [13] Autre matériel diffusé Midday Express of 2008-12-09 Reference: MEX/08/1209 Date: 09/12/2008 EXME08 / 09.12

    MIDDAY EXPRESS

    News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing

    Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb

    09/12/08


  • [01] EU adopts new Safer Internet Programme: € 55 million to make the Internet a safer place for children

    The EU will have a new Safer Internet Programme as of 1 January 2009. Following the overwhelmingly positive vote on 23 October in which the European Parliament expressed its support for the new Safer Internet Programme (<a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1571&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/1571), the Council of Ministers has adopted today the new Programme. The new Safer Internet Programme covering the period 2009-2013 had been proposed by the European Commission on 28 February 2008 (<a href="http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/310&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/310) to protect children in the ever more sophisticated online world and empower them to safely use web services like social networking, blogging and instant messaging. While 75% of children (aged between 6 and 17 years) are already online and 50% of 10-year-olds have a mobile phone, a new Eurobarometer survey published today shows that 60% of European parents are worried that their child might become a victim of online grooming (when an adult befriends a child with the intention of committing sexual abuse) and 54% that their children could be bullied online (harassed on internet sites or via mobile messages). The new Safer Internet Programme will fight grooming and bullying by making online software and mobile technologies more sophisticated and secure. From 2009-2013, the EU will spend € 55 million to make the Internet a safer place.

    [02] Commissioner Hübner presents 'vulnerability index' report on challenges facing regions in 2020

    Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner for regional policy, today presents the findings of the "Regions 2020" report, which provides a first prospective analysis of the likely regional impact of four of the biggest challenges facing Europe: globalisation, demographic trends, climate change and energy use and supply. The findings of the report, produced by the Commission's Directorate-General for Regional Policy, will feed into the reflection process on the future European Cohesion Policy.

    [03] Les droits de l'enfant: le troisième Forum européen sur les droits de l'enfant et la cérémonie de remise des prix du concours "La protection j'y ai droit!"

    Aujourd'hui, le troisième Forum européen sur les droits de l'enfant examinera la question de la participation des enfants l'élaboration des politiques qui les intéressent et celle de la violence contre les enfants. Les lauréats de l'édition 2008 du concours "La protection j'y ai droit" recevront leurs prix: cette année une équipe italienne et une équipe maltaise ont obtenu le premier prix européen dans les deux catégories d'âge. Ce concours, organisé par la Direction Générale Justice Liberté et Sécurité, a permis presque 40 000 jeunes de toute l'Europe âgés entre 10 et 18 ans de participer la création de plus de 8 000 affiches sur le thème du droit des enfants la protection au sein de l'Union européenne.

    [04] 10 décembre 2008 – Journée internationale des droits de l’homme

    Cette année, la Journée internationale des droits de l'homme revêt une signification particulière. Nous commémorons, en effet, le soixantième anniversaire de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme, première étape de l’établissement d'un cadre international global pour la protection des droits de l'homme. Aujourd'hui, la déclaration universelle est un des textes fondamentaux qui consacrent le respect des droits de l'homme comme un principe devant guider les relations internationales Cette année 2008 est également marquée par le quinzième anniversaire de la Déclaration et du Programme d'action de Vienne proclamés par la Conférence mondiale sur les droits de l'homme ainsi que par le dixième anniversaire de l'adoption par l'Assemblée générale des Nations unies de la Déclaration sur les défenseurs des droits de l’homme.

    [05] Ten major new EU research infrastructures welcomed by European Commission

    Infectious diseases, carbon dioxide management, natural disasters warning, space observation: there are among the top priorities areas where 10 new Pan-European Research Infrastructures will be set up. The European Commission is supporting this commitment as a key step in building the European Research Area and addressing the most important needs of society. This new wave of Research Infrastructures was unveiled today at the European Conference on Research Infrastructures 2008, jointly organised by the European Commission and the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), in Versailles. The roadmap will include ambitious projects such as high security labs for research on fatal human pathogens, cutting edge installations to test technologies for carbon dioxide capture and storage, state-of-the-art radars to study the Earth’s atmosphere, infrastructures to better understand the physical processes controlling earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis and new generation telescopes for high-energy gamma-ray astronomy.

    [06] Almost two thirds of enterprises in the EU27 had a website in 2008

    In the EU27, 93% of enterprises of ten or more persons employed had access to the internet in January 2008, the same as in January 2007, and 81% of enterprises had a broadband internet connection, up from 77% in January 2007. On average in the EU27, 64% of enterprises had a website in January 2008, compared with 63% in January 2007. These data2 come from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, and form part of the results of a community survey conducted at the beginning of 2008 on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in enterprises in the EU27 Member States, Iceland and Norway. Besides the indicators presented, the survey also covers e-commerce, e-government and e-business indicators.

    [07] Commission clears acquisition of Altran by APAX Partners

    The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Altran Technologies SA (Altran) of France by APAX Partners SA, also of France. APAX Partners is active in risk capital investment. Altran provides information and technology consultancy, strategy and management consultancy. The operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.

    [08] Cancer Meeting with MEPs: Cancer Screening Saves Lives

    Every year, 3.2 million Europeans are diagnosed with cancer, most suffer from breast, colorectal or lung cancers. Today, Health Commissioner, Androulla Vasiliou, addresses a meeting on Reducing the Burden of Cancer in Europe - Cancer Screening Saves Lives, organised by the MEPs against Cancer in the European Parliament. Commissioner Vassiliou presents preliminary results of the Commission's report on the implementation of the Council Recommendation on cancer screening (2003/878/EC). Over the last 4 years, considerable progress in population based screening programmes for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer has been made in the EU. However, there is still room for improvement given that less than half of the population who should be covered by screening according to the Recommendation actually are. To address these and other health challenges caused by cancer across the EU, Commissioner Vassiliou announces the Commission intension to form a European partnership for action against cancer next year. This partnership will support Member States in their efforts to tackle cancer more efficiently by providing a framework for identifying and sharing information, capacity, and expertise in cancer prevention and control, and by bringing together relevant stakeholders across the EU in a collective effort to tackle cancer. For more information: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/dyna/vassiliou/speeches_en.cfm">http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/dyna/vassiliou/speeches_en.cfm

    [09] Internal Market: International Auditing Conference

    The European Commission is organising a conference on international auditing on 10 December 2008. The aim is to enhance international cooperation and to promote better cooperation between public oversight systems. The one-day conference has been structured to cover key aspects such as: Challenges in setting up and developing effective relationships between international audit regulators to further strengthen their co- operation; The practical questions of effective co-operation within the European Union and co-operation towards third countries from a European perspective; Third countries' views on how to co-operate with the European Union. High level representatives from a number of public oversight bodies, as well as from several international auditing federations and institutions will participate.The conference starts at 9.30, in the Charlemagne building, Rue de la Loi 170, Brussels. It can also be followed via web-streaming at: <a href="http://scic.ec.europa.eu/streaming/charduri">http://scic.ec.europa.eu/streaming/charduri The programme and more information on statutory audit in relation to non-EU countries are available at: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/auditing/relations/index_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/auditing/relations/index_en.htm

    Rediffusion

    [10] Aide d'État: la Commission autorise le régime français de renforcement des fonds propres de certains établissements de crédit

    La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu des règles du traité CE relatives aux aides d'État, un mécanisme de renforcement des fonds propres d'établissements de crédit, conçu par la France pour stabiliser les marchés financiers, rétablir la confiance et permettre aux banques en France d'augmenter leurs prêts l'économie réelle. Ce régime intervient en complément du régime de refinancement français approuvé le 30 octobre dernier par la Commission (voir <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1609&format=HTML&aged=0&language=FR&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/1609) et prévoit des garde-fous adéquats de manière limiter les distorsions de la concurrence. L'attention de la Commission a s essentiellement porté sur le niveau de la rémunération de l'État pour ses apports en capitaux ainsi que sur la mise en place de mécanismes permettant de s'assurer que la présence de l'État dans le capital des banques est limitée dans le temps au strict minimum. Dans ce contexte, les autorités françaises ont adapté le niveau de la rémunération et instauré un mécanisme de sur- remboursement du capital permettant d'atteindre cet objectif. Ces garde- fous inciteront les banques bénéficiaires se retourner vers les opérateurs privés dès que les conditions le permettront et éviter ainsi tout effet d'éviction sur les marchés de capitaux. Ces conditions sont essentielles pour limiter l'intervention publique ce qui est nécessaire pour restaurer la confiance sur les marchés financiers La Commission a donc conclu que le régime constitue un moyen approprié, nécessaire et proportionné afin de remédier une perturbation grave de l'économie française. Ce régime est, ce titre, compatible avec les règles en matière d'aides d'État (Article 87.3.b) telles qu'explicitées dans la Communication sur leur application aux banques en temps de crise (voir <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1495&format=HTML&aged=0&language=FR&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/1495).

    [11] 15 companies ready to join the SESAR Joint Undertaking

    The SESAR Joint Undertaking, a unique public-private partnership in air traffic management research, was inaugurated today in Brussels. Fifteen companies are ready to join this EUR 2.1 billion programme, which is the first of its kind in aviation history. The SESAR JU is now poised to tackle its vital mission: to develop a modernised air traffic management system for Europe, which will avert the crippling congestion of the European sky and reduce the environmental impact of air transport. The ceremony was hosted by Dominique Bussereau, French Minister for Transports and Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of transport. David McMillan, Director General of EUROCONTROL and representatives of the European air transport community were also present.

    [12] Member States approve the phasing-out of incan-descent bulbs by 2012

    At today's meeting of the Ecodesign Regulatory Committee, EU Member States experts endorsed the European Commission's proposals for a regulation progressively phasing out incandescent bulbs starting in 2009 and finishing at the end of 2012. By enforcing the regulation of switching to energy saving bulbs, EU citizens will save close to 40 TWh (roughly the electrictity consumption of Romania, or of 11 million European households, or the equivalent of the yearly output of 10 power stations of 500 megawatts) and will lead to a reduction of about 15 million tons of CO2 emission per year.

    [13] Autre matériel diffusé

    • Memo on SESAR incorporates unique public-private partnership to modernise European sky

    • Memo Transport Council – 09 December 2008

    • Speech by Commissioner Potočnik 'Research Infrastructures for Science and Society', Versailles

    • Discours du Vice président Barrot au Forum européen sur les droits de l'enfant, Bruxelles From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/


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