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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 06-05-11Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>CONTENTS / CONTENU[I] Résultats de la Commission du 10 mai 2006 -
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
MIDDAY EXPRESSNews from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefingNouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb11/05/06[I] Résultats de la Commission du 10 mai 2006 -Outcome of Commission meeting of 10 May 2006(voir aussi - see also ME of 10.5) [01] Pour une Europe des résultats : la Commission préconise un projet citoyenLa Commission européenne a adopté un ambitieux projet pour les citoyens européens. Cette contribution de la Commission au Conseil européen de juin prend en compte les messages qu'elle a reçus dans le cadre du Plan D et des débats nationaux qui ont été organisés pendant la période de réflexion préconisée l'an dernier par les dirigeants européens. Il est temps que le dialogue débouche sur des résultats.[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles[02] Public procurement : Commission aims to improve rights of rejected bidders to challenge decisionsThe European Commission has put forward a proposal to improve the national review procedures that businesses can use when they consider that a public authority has awarded a contract unfairly. The proposed Directive would require public authorities to wait a certain number of days, known as a 'standstill period', before concluding a public contract following the announcement of its award. This would give rejected bidders the opportunity to start an effective and swift review procedure at a time when any unfair decisions could still be corrected. It would apply not only to contracts awarded following a tender procedure, but also to contracts awarded directly to a single bidder, which under EU law are allowed only exceptionally and under very restrictive conditions. The introduction of these new rights for rejected bidders would create stronger incentives for EU businesses to bid for contracts anywhere in the EU. Providing clear and effective procedures for seeking redress is crucial to making sure contracts ultimately go to the company which has made the best offer, and therefore to building confidence among businesses and the public that public procurement procedures are fair.[03] SOLVIT : le succès se maintient en 2005, mais les Etats membres doivent renforcer leur soutienLe réseau SOLVIT, créé par la Commission européenne et les Etats membres de l'UE pour aider les particuliers et les entreprises remédier aux applications incorrectes du droit communautaire, a examiné 465 affaires en 2005, soit 61% de plus qu'en 2004. Cela indique que de plus en plus de particuliers et d'entreprises exploitent l'approche rapide et informelle pour résoudre les problèmes qu'offre SOLVIT. SOLVIT résout 80% environ des cas qui lui sont soumis. Le rapport annuel de la Commission sur SOLVIT indique cependant que les Etats membres doivent prévoir davantage de ressources pour faire face l'augmentation du nombre de cas et permettre SOLVIT de continuer bien fonctionner.[04] Money laundering and terrorist financing : Member States agree to Commission draft for 'level 2' implementing measuresThe Committee for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, a regulatory committee composed of Member States and chaired by the European Commission, agreed on 10 May 2006 to the European Commission's formal draft for technical measures implementing the Third Directive on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. The Directive was adopted in October 2005 (IP/05/682) and is to be implemented at the latest in December 2007. The proposed technical measures were formally presented to the European Parliament and to the Committee mid-April 2006.[05] Commission intends to modernise the current legislation on financial services and insurancesThe European Commission intends to submit a legislative proposal by the end of 2006 for modernising the current legislation on financial services and insurances. It has launched a public online consultation (MEX/06/0314) and works closely with the European Banking Federation in this process. Within this framework the Commission together with the EBF organise at 11 May in Brussels a one day conference. The main objectives of a modernisation would mainly be to reduce the administrative costs for administrations and traders, to remove potential or actual competitive distortions between supplies across different Member States and to create more clarity and security for Member States and traders VAT should be applied in a manner consistent with a level playing field and accordingly eliminate all VAT attributable competitive distortions.[06] La Commission présente les résultats exceptionnels du projet CUTE et annonce une nouvelle mesure pour des transports publics propresLa Commission européenne a rendu publics aujourd'hui, lors de la conférence de Hambourg relative au projet CUTE (Clean Urban Transport for Europe - Transports urbains propres pour l'Europe), les résultats de la plus grande expérimentation au monde de bus alimentés par des piles hydrogène. Elle a en outre annoncé le lancement d'une nouvelle initiative en faveur de l'hydrogène. Depuis la mi-2003, 27 bus de transport en commun ont parcouru, sans polluer et sans causer le moindre incident, plus d'un million de kilomètres et transporté plus de quatre millions de passagers dans neuf villes européennes. Ces bus participaient au projet CUTE, qui vient de s'achever. La nouvelle initiative "Hydrogène pour les transports" concernera l'exploitation quotidienne en Europe de quelque 200 véhicules hydrogène et de leurs infrastructures d'approvisionnement.[07] Commission approves acquisition of Atlas Elektronik by ThyssenKrupp and EADSThe European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the German naval electronics supplier Atlas Elektronik GmbH by ThyssenKrupp Technologies AG (TKT) and EADS Deutschland. The Commission's market investigation concluded that the proposed transaction, leading to a vertical integration of a formerly independent supplier of TKT, would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it.[08] Commission clears acquisition of DSCB by Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and Lone StarThe European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of Deutsche Steinzeug Cremer & Breuer AG (DSCB) of Germany by Deutsche Bank AG (DB) of Germany, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) of the UK and Lone Star Fund V (LS) of the US and Bermuda. DB provides universal banking services. LS is active in private equity investments. GS is active in investment banking and securities. DSCB manufactures and distributes ceramic tiles. The operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.[09] Child-resistant lighters : Commission adopts new measureToday the European Commission adopted a Decision requiring all lighters placed on the market in the EU to be child resistant. The Decision also bans "novelty lighters" in the form of toys and other child-appealing shapes. Accidents caused by children playing with lighters result in many avoidable deaths and injuries, as well as considerable material damage, across the EU annually. This new legislation introduces a simple measure which can significantly improve the protection of European citizens, particularly children, from such accidents. Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said: "I am delighted that soon only lighters which are child resistant will be able to be bought in the EU. This decision is pure common sense – it will save lives and reduce injuries. The success of such a measure has already been seen in other parts of the world, and I expect to see similar results in the EU." The Decision will be published in the Official Journal in the coming days, and 10 months after the date of publication, the ban on putting non-child resistant lighters onto the EU market will enter into effect. A follow-up Decision will be adopted within the next 12 months, setting a date by which all non-child resistant lighters already on the market must be removed.[10] Newcastle Disease in Bulgaria : further restrictions imposedThe European Commission today decided to extend the regionalised import ban on Bulgarian poultry, poultry meat and meat products, ratites, game and hatching eggs, due to an outbreak of Newcastle Disease. The ban, which is already in place for the regions of Vratsa and Blagoevgrad, will now be extended to cover the Burgas region in eastern Bulgaria, due to an outbreak of the highly contagious bird disease there in mid-April. In banning imports from regions where there have been cases of Newcastle Disease, the Commission aims to protect the EU from the introduction of the virus, which can have severe animal health and economic consequences. A ban on poultry and poultry products from the whole of Bulgaria was not deemed necessary however, given the epidemiological situation, the disease control measures applied and the information supplied to the Commission by the Bulgarian authorities. The Decision to extend apply the ban to the Burgas region was supported by Member States in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on 20 April 2006. It will enter into effect immediately.[11] L'UE et les Etats-Unis échangent leurs bonnes pratiques en matière d'alimentation, d'activité physique et de santéQu'est-ce que les pays de l'Union européenne et les Etats-Unis peuvent apprendre les uns des autres en matière de lutte contre l'obésité? Est- ce qu'une autorégulation de l’industrie peut donner de bons résultats? Ces questions figurent parmi celles qui seront examinées aujourd'hui et demain Bruxelles lors d'une conférence UE/Etats-Unis organisée par la Commission européenne sur le thème de l'alimentation, de l'activité physique et de la santé. Des fonctionnaires, des représentants des industries alimentaires et de boissons, des publicitaires, des ONG et des représentants de la société civile de l'UE et des Etats-Unis se réuniront lors de cette conférence afin de comparer les bonnes pratiques et de poser les fondements d'une coopération future dans des domaines tels que la publicité, l'étiquetage et l'éducation des consommateurs. M. Markos Kyprianou, le commissaire européen chargé de la santé et de la protection des consommateurs, Mme Maria Rauch-Kallat, la ministre autrichienne de la santé et de la condition féminine et M. Alex Azar, le vice-ministre américain de la santé et des services sociaux figurent parmi les orateurs principaux.[12] Euratom formally joins the GIF Framework AgreementOn 11 May 2006, Euratom formally joins the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Framework Agreement. In the beginning of this year, European Commissioner for Research Janez Potočnik informed the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD, the Depositary of the Framework Agreement, of the Commission's decision regarding the accession of Euratom with the Joint Research Centre designated as the Community's Implementing Agent. By acceding to GIF, all interested R&D organisations and industry in the Member States, as well as to countries associated with the Euratom Research Framework Programmes, will have the possibility to participate in concrete GIF R&D projects, thereby building competence and knowledge and gaining information about the technical and safety issues concerning the next generation of nuclear reactor systems.[13] Flash estimates for the first quarter of 2006 : Euro area and EU25 GDP up by 0.6% ; +2.0% and +2.2% respectively compared to the first quarter of 2005GDP grew by 0.6% both in the euro area and in the EU25 during the first quarter of 2006, compared to the previous quarter, according to flash estimates published by Eurostat. In the fourth quarter of 2005, growth rates were +0.3% in the euro area and +0.4% in the EU25. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, GDP grew by 2.0% in the euro area and by 2.2% in the EU25 in the first quarter of 2006, after +1.8% and +2.0% respectively in the previous quarter. During the first quarter of 2006, US GDP increased by 1.2% compared to the previous quarter, after +0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2005. Compared to the first quarter of 2005, GDP grew by 3.5% in the US, after +3.2% in the previous quarter.[14] Sommet UE-Amérique latine et Caraïbes : un déficit commercial de €9 milliards de l'UE25 avec les pays de l'ALC en 2005 ; les pays de l'ALC représentent 5,6% du commerce de biens de l'UE25Entre 1999 et 2005, les exportations de biens de l'UE25 vers les 33 pays d'Amérique latine et des Caraïbes (ALC) se sont accrues plus lentement que les importations : les exportations ont augmenté de €49,2 milliards 58,2 milliards et les importations de 40,7 milliards 67,4 milliards. La balance commerciale de l'UE25 avec les pays de l'ALC est ainsi passée d'un excédent de 8,5 milliards en 1999 un déficit de 9,1 milliards en 2005. Les pays de l'ALC ont représenté 5,6% du total du commerce extérieur de biens de l’UE25 en 2005. A l'occasion du quatrième sommet UE-ALC, qui se tiendra le 12 mai 2006 Vienne, Eurostat, publie les données relatives aux échanges commerciaux entre les 33 pays de l'ALC et les 25 Etats membres de l'UE.[15] Autre matériel diffuséQuestions et réponses concernant le document de la Commission 'Un projet citoyen : Pour une Europe des résultats'Frequently asked questions on Commission proposal to improve remedies in public procurement Examples of SOLVIT success stories Speech by Joaquin Almunia : "The performance of EMU over the past six years and the challenges ahead" at Conference organised by the Austrian National Bank, the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance and the European Commission (Linz) Speech by Mariann Fischer Boel : "Priorities in agricultural and trade policy" at COCERAL congress (Budapest) Speech by Vladimir pidla : "Das europäische Sozialmodell: Wunschdenken oder Realität?" at Europäische Akademie Berlin (! embargo 19h00 !) Speech by Günter Verheugen : "Better regulation for Jobs and Growth" at Former Members Dinner European Parliament Former Members Association (10/05) Speech by Günter Verheugen : "Future Automotive Technologies: Road Safety, Environment and Beyond" at CLEPA Technology Day (10/05) Speech by Andris Piebalgs : "Challenges and perspectives of the EU energy
policy" at meeting of South East, Far East, South East Asia (SAFESEA) group
Ambassadors (10/05)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/ Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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