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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 09-02-24
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Leading experts to carry out the European Research Council review
[02] Visit to Greece: Commissioner Danuta Hübner to meet Greek Prime
Minister Kostas Karamanlis for talks on EU support for innovation
[03] EU signs civil aviation agreement with Pakistan
[04] Industrial new orders down by 5.2% in euro area
[05] Commission clears acquisition of Constellation Energy Commodities by
Goldman Sachs
[06] Environnement: Stockholm et Hambourg premières lauréates du prix de
la Capitale verte de l'Europe
[07] Environnement: Budapest remporte le prix de la Semaine européenne de
la mobilité 2008
Midday Express of 2009-02-24
Reference: MEX/09/0224
Date: 24/02/2009
EXME09 / 24.02
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
24/02/09
[01] Leading experts to carry out the European Research Council review
The European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik, today
met the future members of a high level panel due to review the European
Research Council (ERC). The aim of this review, which comes after two years
of operations, will be to scrutinize the ERC’s structure and mechanisms,
to take stock of its achievements and to give advice on the direction this
pioneering research funding initiative should take for the future. The
review will be conducted by eminent representatives of the science and
policy domains from the EU and US.
[02] Visit to Greece: Commissioner Danuta Hübner to meet Greek Prime
Minister Kostas Karamanlis for talks on EU support for innovation
Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner, is visiting Greece from 25 to
27 February. She will meet Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis and members of
the government to discuss the contribution of the EU's Cohesion Policy to
the European Economic Recovery Plan and the policy's role as a driver for
investment in innovation, research and development in Greece. The
Commissioner will also address the "Innovation, Research and Development in
the framework of the European Regional Policy" conference in Athens and
visit projects backed with European investment in the Epirus and the Ionian
Islands regions.
[03] EU signs civil aviation agreement with Pakistan
Today, the EU and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan signed
an aviation agreement which will restore legal certainty regarding
bilateral air services agreements between Pakistan and EU Member States.
[04] Industrial new orders down by 5.2% in euro area
In December 2008 compared with November 2008, the euro area (EA15)
industrial new orders index fell by 5.2%. In November the index decreased
by 5.4%. In the EU27 new orders declined by 6.4% in December 2008, after
dropping by 5.1% in November. Excluding ships, railway & aerospace
equipment, for which changes tend to be more volatile, industrial new
orders fell by 4.7% in the euro area and by 6.4% in the EU27. In December
2008 compared with December 2007, industrial new orders decreased by 22.3%
in the euro area and by 23.3% in the EU27. Total industry excluding ships,
railway & aerospace equipment dropped by 22.1% in the euro area and by
21.2% in the EU27. Compared with 2007, the average new orders index for
2008 fell by 5.0% in the euro area and by 4.9% in the EU27. These estimates
are released by Eurostat.
[05] Commission clears acquisition of Constellation Energy Commodities by
Goldman Sachs
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of the international
commodities business of Constellation Energy Commodities Group (CECG) of
the US by J. Aron & Company, controlled by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc of
the US. Goldman Sachs is active in banking, securities and investment
services. The international commodities business of CECG focuses primarily
on global coal trading and freights services The operation was examined
under the simplified merger review procedure.
Rediffusion
[06] Environnement: Stockholm et Hambourg premières lauréates du prix de
la Capitale verte de l'Europe
Les villes de Stockholm et de Hambourg ont été désignées aujourd'hui
comme les premières lauréates du nouveau prix de la Capitale verte de
l'Europe. La capitale suédoise sera la capitale verte de l'Europe en 2010
suivie par Hambourg en 2011. Ce nouveau prix lancé par la Commission
européenne encourage les villes améliorer la qualité de la vie urbaine
en tenant systématiquement compte de l'environnement dans
l’aménagement urbain. Les prix ont été décernés par M. Janez
Potočnik, commissaire chargé de la science et de la recherche, lors d'une
cérémonie qui s'est tenue Bruxelles cet après midi.
[07] Environnement: Budapest remporte le prix de la Semaine européenne de
la mobilité 2008
Budapest a reçu aujourd'hui le prix de la Semaine européenne de la
mobilité 2008. Un groupe d'experts indépendants a jugé que la capitale
hongroise avait accompli les meilleurs efforts pour sensibiliser le public
la pollution atmosphérique due au trafic et promouvoir des solutions
plus propres durant la Semaine européenne de la mobilité. Elle a devancé
la ville d'Almada, au Portugal, et la capitale croate Zagreb. Les prix ont
été remis par M. Janez Potočnik, commissaire chargé de la science et de
la recherche, lors d'une cérémonie qui s'est déroulée Bruxelles cette
après-midi.
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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