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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-03-25

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>

MIDDAY EXPRESS

News from the Spokesman's midday briefing

Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb

25/03/99


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] Development and cooperation agreement between the EU and the Republic of South Africa have been approved yesterday by EU Heads of State and Governments
  • [02] Kosovo : emergency aid (euro 2 million) for Macedonia
  • [03] Humanitarian aid for Somalia and Afghanistan
  • [04] L'inflation annuelle de la zone euro stable à 0,8% en février 1999

  • [01] Development and cooperation agreement between the EU and the Republic of South Africa have been approved yesterday by EU Heads of State and Governments

    After 3½ years of highly complex negotiations, Heads of State and Government of the European Union (EU) yesterday approved the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the Republic of South Africa (SA). The agreement provides for the establishment of a Bilateral Free Trade Area between the EU and SA in conformity with WTO rules and the strengthening of European development assistance to SA beyond 1999. EU chief negotiator Professor João de Deus Pinheiro welcomed the decision of the EU Council, underlining that this is the beginning of a new phase in EU/SA relations and that it would pave the way for the future partnership between the EU and ACP countries.

    [02] Kosovo : emergency aid (euro 2 million) for Macedonia

    The European Community Humanitarian Office is allocating euro 2 million in an emergency decision in response to the dramatic worsening of the humanitarian situation in and around Kosovo. The decision puts particular emphasis on the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYROM), which has seen a sudden influx of more than 10,000 refugees from Kosovo during the last days. Many more refugees are expected to arrive as the government has decided to re-open the border on Wednesday 24 March. The amount allocated will allow UNHCR, IFRC and NGOs to distribute emergency supplies of food and domestic items in those areas affected by the conflict. Refugees, host families as well as the most vulnerable will benefit from this aid. The situation in Kosovo is increasingly dramatic, following the start of air strikes yesterday evening. ICRC and MSF, the only aid organisations remaining in Kosovo, report great difficulties of access to the affected areas. ECHO continues to monitor the situation from Skopje, and is ready to provide additional assistance as soon as the situation allows aid to be distributed inside Kosovo itself.

    [03] Humanitarian aid for Somalia and Afghanistan

    The European Commission has approved humanitarian aid Somalia (euro 1.575 million) and Afghanistan (euro 750,000). The aid, managed by the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), will enable humanitarian organisations to carry out projects over the next three to six months. In Somalia, about a million people have been hard hit by a crisis in the Bay and Bakool regions of Somalia. A combination of a 'no war, no peace' situation, exacerbated by floods that have devastated the harvest, have exposed at least 300,000 to a 'high risk' situation. This funding will cover medical and food aid, as well as transport costs to reach those in need. In Afghanistan, over 100,000 people were affected by an earthquake that struck eastern Warduk and Lowgar provinces in February. This aid is to cover emergency shelter and food aid, as well as providing health cover and safe drinking water. It also covers air/road transport to deliver the goods.

    [04] L'inflation annuelle de la zone euro stable à 0,8% en février 1999

    (! embargo 12h !) L'inflation annuelle pour la zone euro est restée stable à 0,8% en février 1999 par rapport au mois de janvier, c'est ce qu'indique aujourd'hui Eurostat, l'Office statistique des Communautés européennes à Luxembourg. Un an auparavant, le taux était de 1,1%. Le taux d'inflation annuel de l'Union européenne (UE15) est passé de 0,9% en janvier à 1,0% en février. En février 1998, il était de 1,3%. Le taux d'inflation annuel de l'Espace Economique Européen est demeuré stable à 1, 0%. Les taux annuels les plus élevés ont été relevés en Grèce (3,5%), au Portugal (2,7%) et en Irlande (2,3%). Les taux les plus bas ont été enregistrés en Allemagne (0,1%), en Suède (0,2%), en France et en Autriche (0,3% chacun). Par rapport au mois de janvier, l'inflation annuelle a baissé dans cinq Etats membres, a progressé dans sept et est restée inchangée dans trois. Par rapport à l'année précédente, les hausses relatives les plus fortes ont été constatées en Irlande (de 1,1% à 2,3%) et au Portugal (de 1,3% à 2,7%) ; les diminutions relatives les plus fortes ont été relevées en Suède (de 2,0% à 0,2%) et en Allemagne (de 0,6% à 0, 1%). Les taux moyens les plus bas sur une période de 12 mois ont été enregistrés en Allemagne (0,5%) et en France (0,6%). Les taux les plus élevés ont été enregistrés en Grèce (4,4%), au Portugal (2,4%) et en Irlande (2,3%). L'inflation annuelle est descendue à 1,6 % aux Etats-Unis et a augmenté à 0,3% en Suisse. (Les données ne sont pas disponibles pour le Japon). Ces indices ne sont cependant pas strictement comparables avec les indices harmonisés européens de l'UE15.

    MIDDAY EXPRESS


    From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
    © ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996


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