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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 05-04-29
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission to recover €277.25 million of CAP expenditure from the
Member States
[02] La Commission autorise la création de deux entreprises communes entre
Alcatel Space et Alenia Spazio, sous réserve du respect de certaines
conditions
[03] Les Européens veulent que les responsables politiques accordent
autant d'importance l'environnement qu'aux facteurs économiques et
sociaux
[04] April 2005 : Business Climate Indicator in the euro area continues to
worsen
[05] April 2005 : Economic sentiment continues to decline in both the EU
and the euro area
[06] Flash estimate - April 2005 : Euro-zone inflation estimated at 2.1%
[07] Ouverture de la distillation de crise en France et Espagne
[08] One year of cohesion policy in the enlarged EU : successes so far and
challenges ahead
[09] Peter Mandelson announces feasibility study for EU-ASEAN Free Trade
Agreement ; welcomes Asian economic "renaissance"
[10] Commission decides to launch investigation into nine categories of
Chinese textile imports
[11] Commission regrets attack on EU sugar regime, but will abide by WTO
Appellate Body ruling
[12] Commission announces support for Khmer Rouge Tribunal
[13] EU-Japan Summit (02/05)
[14] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2005-04-29
Reference: MEX/05/0429
Date: 29/04/2005
EXME05 / 29.4
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Général Presse etb
Communication
29/04/05
[01] Commission to recover €277.25 million of CAP expenditure from the
Member States
A total of €277.25 million of EU farm money misspent by Member States is
to be claimed back, following a decision adopted today by the European
Commission. The money will be recovered because of inadequate control
procedures or non-compliance with EU rules on agricultural expenditure.
Member States are responsible for paying out and checking virtually all
expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Commission
is required to ensure that Member States have made correct use of the
funds.
[02] La Commission autorise la création de deux entreprises communes entre
Alcatel Space et Alenia Spazio, sous réserve du respect de certaines
conditions
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement CE sur les
concentrations, la création de deux entreprises communes par laquelle la
société française d'électronique Alcatel fusionnera ses activités
spatiales avec celles d'Alenia Spazio et de Telespazio, qui font partie de
la société italienne du secteur de la défense et de l'ingénierie
Finmeccanica. L'examen de la Commission a mis en évidence des problèmes
graves pour certains sous-systèmes satellites (installations de
télémesure, de poursuite et de télécommande ou "TTC" et radars
altimètres), mais Alcatel et Alenia ont été en mesure de résoudre ces
problèmes en proposant une licence pour les deux sous systèmes et en
acceptant de contrôler les prix des TTC.
[03] Les Européens veulent que les responsables politiques accordent
autant d'importance l'environnement qu'aux facteurs économiques et
sociaux
Selon les résultats d'un sondage Eurobaromètre, les Européens
considèrent qu'un environnement sain est aussi important pour leur
qualité de vie que la situation économique ou les facteurs sociaux. La
pollution de l'eau, les catastrophes d'origine humaine, le changement
climatique, la pollution de l'air et les produits chimiques sont les sujets
environnementaux qui préoccupent le plus les citoyens européens. Ce
sondage est également le premier examiner les attitudes l'égard de
l'environnement au sein d'une Union européenne qui compte désormais 25
Etats membres.
[04] April 2005 : Business Climate Indicator in the euro area continues to
worsen
The Business Climate Indicator (BCI) for the euro area fell in April by
0.19 points to a level of -0.28, following the declines in previous months.
While the slide of the indicator had already started in summer 2004, it has
become more pronounced since the start of the year. The April decline of
the BCI was reflected in all underlying components. However, the
deterioration in industry managers' opinions was particularly marked for
export order books and total order books while the production trend
observed in the recent past, the stocks of finished products and the
production expectations decreased more moderately.
[05] April 2005 : Economic sentiment continues to decline in both the EU
and the euro area
The economic sentiment indicator (ESI) for the EU weakened by 1.7 points in
April, following its decline by 2.4 points in March. In the euro area, the
indicator eased by 1 point in April, after a decrease of 1.3 points in
March. Since peaking in October 2004, the indicator has fallen by 6.6
points in the EU and by 5 points in the euro area, indicating a
considerable slowing of output growth in the first half of 2005.
[06] Flash estimate - April 2005 : Euro-zone inflation estimated at 2.1%
Euro-zone annual inflation is expected to be 2.1% in April 2005 according
to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat. It was 2.1% in March. Euro-zone
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-zone. No detailed breakdown is available.
Experience has shown the procedure to be reliable (13 times exactly
anticipating the inflation rate, 10 times differing by 0.1 and once
differing by 0.2, in January 2005, over the last two years). Further
information can be found in Eurostat News Release 113/2001 of 5 November
2001.
[07] Ouverture de la distillation de crise en France et Espagne
Le Comité de gestion des Vins s'est prononcé hier en faveur de deux
propositions de règlements de la Commission européenne ouvrant la
distillation de crise en France et en Espagne. Suite une production
abondante, des excédents importants ont été constatés sur le marché du
vin dans ces deux pays qui se reflètent par une baisse de prix et une
augmentation inquiétante des stocks. Pour la France, une distillation de
crise de 1,5 millions d'hl de vins de qualité est ouverte et le prix
d'achat du vin est de 3,35 € par % vol et par hl. De son côté, la
France s'est engagée prendre des mesures structurelles dans le secteur
des vins de qualité. Pour l’Espagne, la distillation couvre 4 millions
d'hl de vins de table au prix de 1,914 € par % vol et par hl. L'alcool
issu de cette distillation ne pourra pas être utilisé pour produire de
l'alcool de bouche mais devra plutôt être utilisé pour des besoins
industriels ou comme biocarburant. Les règlements doivent encore être
approuvés par la Commission et seront applicables partir du 23 mai 2005.
[08] One year of cohesion policy in the enlarged EU : successes so far and
challenges ahead
With the accession of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia to the European Union on 1
May 2004, regional disparities within the Union doubled overnight. The EU's
cohesion policy responded: these countries are together receiving €24
billion from the Structural and Cohesion Funds between 2004 and 2006, and
still more from 2007 onwards. The necessary administrative structures have
been set up and project selection is well underway. The new Member States
are making excellent progress so far towards successfully absorbing the
unprecedented level of support for economic convergence and regional
development that the EU will provide.
[09] Peter Mandelson announces feasibility study for EU-ASEAN Free Trade
Agreement ; welcomes Asian economic "renaissance"
In a keynote speech to the WEF Asia Forum in Singapore this morning
European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson announced that the EU and ASEAN
have agreed to set up a "vision group" to assess the feasibility of an EU-
ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. He called for Europe to renew and consolidate
the scope of its relations with Asia to reflect the region's dramatic
changes. He argues that Europe should see "the renaissance of Asia" not as
a threat but an opportunity and a stimulus for European competitiveness.
[10] Commission decides to launch investigation into nine categories of
Chinese textile imports
The European Commission has decided on 28 April to launch an investigation
into Chinese textile imports to the EU in nine product categories, as
proposed by Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson. As indicated on April 24,
the nine product categories to be covered by the investigation are : T-
shirts, pullovers, blouses, stockings and socks, men's trousers, women's
overcoats, brassieres, flax or ramie yarn and woven fabrics flax. The
Commission decision will be published in the Official Journal on Friday
April 29. The investigation will be launched today, 29 April, and will
last for a maximum of sixty days.
[11] Commission regrets attack on EU sugar regime, but will abide by WTO
Appellate Body ruling
Reacting to ruling of the WTO's Appellate Body on 28 April, Mariann Fischer
Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said :
"We presented our case forcefully and I had hoped that the Appellate Body
would take greater account of our arguments : both on 'C' sugar and our
exports of sugar equivalent to imports from the ACP and India. Naturally, I
will take account of this verdict when I finalise the reform proposals we
are due to publish on 22 June. We will continue to defend the valid
interests of sugar producers and consumers in both the EU and the ACP
countries. I am determined now to modernise our sugar regime to ensure it
has a viable future. With such a reform, the EU will stand strongly in the
WTO DDA negotiations in Hong Kong. We expect a balanced outcome with
contributions from everyone." Peter Mandelson, Commissioner for Trade,
added : "We will abide by our international obligations on the sugar regime
and will work closely with Member States on the necessary reforms ahead of
the WTO Ministerial in December." The Commission will now examine the final
verdict in detail and look at the reasoning behind it.
[12] Commission announces support for Khmer Rouge Tribunal
European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood
Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, has announced that the European Commission
intends to make a €1 million contribution to the Khmer Rouge Special
Tribunals. The establishement of "Extraordinary Chambers for the
Prosecution under Cambodian Law of Crimes Committed during the period of
Democratic Kampuchea" follows an agreement between the government of
Cambodia and the United Nations in 2003, and ratified in 2004. The
Commission contribution will be committed to the UN Trust Fund established
in Phnom Penh to support the chambers. The European Initiative for
Democracy and Human Rights also supports the International Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia and the Special Tribunal for Sierra Leone.
[13] EU-Japan Summit (02/05)
EU leaders will welcome Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the
14th Summit between the European Union (EU) and Japan in Luxembourg on 2
May 2005. Alongside European Commission President José Manuel Durão
Barroso and European Commissioner for External Relations and European
Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU will be represented by
Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg Foreign Minister
Jean Asselborn and High Representative for Common Foreign and Security
Policy Javier Solana. Discussions will cover political and economic aspects
of the EU-Japan relationship, as well as global issues including the
environment, disaster preparedness and the forthcoming WTO Hong Kong
ministerial meeting, as well as a range of key international issues
including relations with China, the Korean Peninsula, Russia, Iran and
Iraq.
[14] Autre matériel diffusé
Déclaration du Président Barroso l'occasion du premier anniversaire de
l'élargissement, 1 mai 2005
Enlargement one year on : state of play
Speech by Peter Mandelson : "Tilting the global balance: Asia's new trade
growth" at WEF Asia Forum (Singapore)
Speech by Joe Borg : "Seaports in the context of a European Maritime
Policy" at ESPO 2005 – European Sea Ports' Conference (28/04, Valletta)
Speech by Janez Potočnik : "Accelerating opportunities for Stronger
Transatlantic Collaboration" at 'Promoting innovation and competitiveness
– a transatlantic dialogue' Conference (28/04, The Hague)
Calendrier du 1er au 8 mai 2005
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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