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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 01-11-30

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 30/11/2001

  • [01] Recasting of the Financial Regulation on good track European Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer welcomed the European Parliament's adoption of a formal opinion on the recasting of the Financial Regulation with an overwhelming majority of 462 votes in favour. "The recasting of the financial regulation is without any doubt one of the most important pieces of legislation in the reform process of the financial management. I am pleased to see our efforts endorsed by the European Parliament. Now comes the Council's turn. I feel encouraged by the clear intentions expressed by the forthcoming Spanish presidency. Our goal, to have a modern management tool for the European Budget adopted in 2002 and enter into force in 2003, is now, more than ever, achievable." The draft Regulation is designed primarily to simplify and reorganise the Financial Regulation by setting out in a single legal instrument all the principles and basic rules concerning the establishment, the implementation and the control of the EU budget. It aims at translating budget commitments faster into concrete projects and creates 'sunset clauses'. It transposes the Directives on public procurement into the Financial Regulation. It reinforces the financial responsibility of financial actors.
  • [02] Lutte contre le dopage : l'UE prend les devants A la veille du la réunion du Conseil de Fondation de l'Agence mondiale anti- dopage (AMA), qui se tiendra à Lausanne lundi prochain, la Commission européenne a sélectionné 16 nouveaux projets pilotes pour une valeur de 2,5 millions d'euros, en faveur de la promotion de la lutte contre le dopage. Ces 16 projets s'ajoutent aux trois projets annoncés en août dernier, financés par la Commission et pris en charge par l'AMA. Outre ces 16 projets sélectionnés, la Commission a reçu les conclusions de trois études relatives aux questions du dopage.
  • [03] Pre-accession farm aid for Lithuania : go-ahead payments for euro 30.3 million Sapard programme The European Commission has today decided to confer the management of Sapard aid to the Lithuanian authorities, enabling Lithuania to commence the implementation of its Sapard programme. Under this scheme, Lithuania will now be entitled to euro 30.3 million annually. Payment of the first advance can now be made (maximum 49% of the annual amount). Lithuania is the fourth candidate country to move into the operational stage of the innovative Sapard initiative. This first decision on the provisional conferral of management of aid covers the four main measures of the Lithuanian Sapard programme : investments in agricultural holdings ; improving the processing and marketing of agricultural and fisheries products ; development and diversification of economic activities providing for multiple activities and alternative income ; improvement of rural infrastructure and Vocational Training.
  • [04] World AIDS Day : "Following important progress in Doha, further action on access to medicines is needed", says Pascal Lamy European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy marked World AIDS Day (1 December) by pledging that the Commission would continue to do all in its power to make sure that safe, affordable drugs are available to all who need them in the struggle to combat HIV/AIDS and other killer diseases, especially in the world's poorer countries.
  • [05] Commission clears change from joint to sole control of ECT, subject to conditions The European Commission has approved, subject to conditions, an operation by which Hutchison Whampoa Limited Group (Hong-Kong) will acquire sole control of the Rotterdam container terminal operator Europe Combined Terminals BV (ECT). As initially notified, the operation would have led to the creation of a dominant position on the market for the provision in Northern Europe of stevedoring services for transhipment traffic carried by deep-sea container vessels. However, the parties have offered undertakings which will enable significant competition to emerge on the relevant market.
  • [06] Philippe Busquin participe au débat sur la génétique humaine au Parlement européen Lors du débat du 29 novembre au Parlement européen sur le rapport de sa commission temporaire sur la génétique humaine présenté par le rapporteur Francesco Fiori, le Commissaire européen à la Recherche Philippe Busquin a clarifié la position de la Commission sur les grandes questions liées à la génétique humaine : la recherche sur les cellules souches et le clonage, la brevetabilité des inventions biotechnologiques, les tests génétiques, la production de médicaments basés sur la génétique et l'utilisation des données personnelles liées à l'analyse des génomes. En matière de brevetabilité des inventions biotechnologiques, M. Busquin a fortement insisté sur l'importance de la transposition de la directive 98/44 par tous les Etats Membres et de son application effective. Pour préparer les rapports annuels au Parlement et au Conseil sur la directive, la Commission envisage la mise en place d'un groupe d'experts scientifiques et juridiques qui pourront en clarifier certains aspects. M. Busquin a fait état de sa déception quant au manque de progrès dans l'adoption d'un brevet communautaire. Concernant le financement de la recherche sur les cellules souches embryonnaires, M. Busquin a rappelé que sa position est de ne pas accorder un financement communautaire de telles recherches si elles conduisent à la production d'embryons humains aux seules fins de la recherche ou de la production de cellules souches.
  • [07] David Byrne se félicite de l'adoption, par le Conseil, de limites concernant la présence de dioxines dans l'alimentation humaine David Byrne, Commissaire européen chargé de la Santé et de la Protection des consommateurs, s'est félicité hier de l'adoption par le Conseil d'un règlement fixant des limites juridiquement contraignantes concernant la présence de dioxines et d'autres contaminants dans l'alimentation humaine. Toute denrée alimentaire dépassant ces limites strictes est exclue de la chaîne alimentaire. Les mesures portant sur l'alimentation humaine constituent un élément clé de la stratégie d'ensemble présentée par la Commission afin d'améliorer la sécurité des denrées alimentaires et des aliments pour animaux, en réponse aux problèmes de contamination par la dioxine rencontrés par le passé. M. Byrne a remercié la présidence belge, dont les efforts ont permis d'aboutir à un accord rapide sur la proposition présentée par la Commission en juillet dernier. Une proposition équivalente fixant des teneurs maximales dans les aliments pour animaux a été adoptée mardi par le Conseil (IP/01/1670).
  • [08] Nouveau programme Euromed Jeunesse pour renforcer le dialogue entre les cultures La Commission européenne a adopté le programme Euromed Jeunesse II d'une durée de trois ans (2002-2004) avec un budget en augmentation de 40% par rapport à Euromed Jeunesse I (1999-2001). Ce programme d'échanges de jeunes et d'actions de volontariat et de formation s'adresse aux jeunes des Etats membres de l'UE et de pays du bassin méditerranéen (Algérie, Chypre, Egypte, Israël, Jordanie, Liban, Malte, Maroc, Palestine, Syrie, Tunisie et Turquie).
  • [09] Commission publishes first survey on eGovernment services in Europe The European Commission today released a study on online public services. For the first time, the availability of basic public services on the Internet has been measured in all Member States. According to the survey, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal are demonstrating particularly good results. The results of the survey vary depending on the type of service offered. A representative sample of 7,400 websites of national, regional and local authorities was surveyed to find out where the EU - and individual Member States - stand in the development of electronic public services. The report was released during the conference "eGovernment from policy to practice" organised by the Commission and the Belgian Presidency (see IP/01/1456).
  • [10] Ministerial declaration : eGovernment - a priority for Europe Ministers and State Secretaries from 28 countries spanning the EU, EFTA and countries in accession negotiations with the EU today declared that higher priority should be given to eGovernment issues in promoting the development of a European Information Society focused on growth, employment and quality of life. The declaration was unanimously agreed at a ministerial meeting which took place in the framework of the eGovernment conference, on November 29.This was chaired by Minister Rik Daems of the Belgian Presidency, in the presence of Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society. The declaration recognises service- oriented, reliable and innovative government at all levels as being essential to the development of a dynamic, productive and democratic European society. Implementing eGovernment - one of the key themes of the eEurope Action Plan 2002 is therefore crucial. The Ministers reiterated their commitment to pursuing a long-term vision with clear and measurable objectives.
  • [11] EU launches "eGovernment Awards" The European Commission's new "eEurope Awards for Innovation in eGovernment" aims to highlight and promote the efforts made by European national, regional and local administrations in using Information Society Technologies to improve the quality and accessibility of their public services. Its launch follows the success of the "eGovernment label". This was recently awarded to 60 online services submitted by administrations for inclusion within "eGovernment: From Policy to Practice", a conference and exhibition organised jointly on November 29-30 by the Commission and the EU Belgian Presidency. Almost 300 submissions were received from administrations around Europe. As its name suggests, the new Award is a concrete expression of the eEurope Action Plan 2002. "The Award will be a significant driving force for identifying and promoting excellence and creativity in the public sector and for supporting the mutual recognition and adoption of best practices", said Erkki Liikanen, Commissioner for the Information Society, as he announced the Award at the eGovernment conference in Brussels today.
  • [12] Pascal Lamy in China on 3-4 December to usher in a new era in EU-China trade relations following China's accession to WTO European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy will visit Shanghai and Beijing on 3 and 4 December at the invitation of his counterpart, Chinese Trade Minister Shi Guangsheng. They will meet in order to further develop the close co-operation in global trade matters established with China during the WTO accession negotiations, following the decision of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). They will also focus on the economic and legislative reforms carried out by China in the context of its WTO accession. On the eve of his departure for China, Mr Lamy said : "In the past two years I have established an excellent working relationship with my friend Shi Guangsheng and we look forward to building on this as we welcome China into the WTO. The EU will continue to work hand-in-hand with China in the critical phase of implementing its WTO commitments. We will discuss how best we can support China in this process. I look forward to returning to Beijing and to my first visit to Shanghai, to see first-hand the dynamism and enormous potential of the Chinese economy."
  • [13] Autre matériel diffusé Note sur les Fonds structurels et la rencontre entre MM. Barnier et Tremonti Speech by Franz Fischler : "Die Slowakei und die EU von der Nachbarschaft zur Partnerschaft" ath the '2001 Europa Einheit in Vielfalt' Conference (29/11, Bratislava) Speech by David Byrne : "Animal welfare : Higher standards show their merits" au EuroGroup for Animal Welfare EU Response to the 11 September Latest update on European Commission action Calendrier du 3 au 9 décembre 2001

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


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