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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 08-12-09
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] EU adopts new Safer Internet Programme: € 55 million to make the
Internet a safer place for children
[02] Commissioner Hübner presents 'vulnerability index' report on
challenges facing regions in 2020
[03] Les droits de l'enfant: le troisième Forum européen sur les droits
de l'enfant et la cérémonie de remise des prix du concours "La protection
j'y ai droit!"
[04] 10 décembre 2008 – Journée internationale des droits de l’homme
[05] Ten major new EU research infrastructures welcomed by European
Commission
[06] Almost two thirds of enterprises in the EU27 had a website in 2008
[07] Commission clears acquisition of Altran by APAX Partners
[08] Cancer Meeting with MEPs: Cancer Screening Saves Lives
[09] Internal Market: International Auditing Conference
[10] Aide d'État: la Commission autorise le régime français de
renforcement des fonds propres de certains établissements de crédit
[11] 15 companies ready to join the SESAR Joint Undertaking
[12] Member States approve the phasing-out of incan-descent bulbs by 2012
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2008-12-09
Reference: MEX/08/1209
Date: 09/12/2008
EXME08 / 09.12
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
09/12/08
[01] EU adopts new Safer Internet Programme: € 55 million to make the
Internet a safer place for children
The EU will have a new Safer Internet Programme as of 1 January 2009.
Following the overwhelmingly positive vote on 23 October in which the
European Parliament expressed its support for the new Safer Internet
Programme (<a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1571&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/1571),
the Council of Ministers has adopted today the new Programme. The new Safer
Internet Programme covering the period 2009-2013 had been proposed by the
European Commission on 28 February 2008 (<a href="http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/310&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/310)
to protect children in the ever more sophisticated online world and empower
them to safely use web services like social networking, blogging and
instant messaging. While 75% of children (aged between 6 and 17 years) are
already online and 50% of 10-year-olds have a mobile phone, a new
Eurobarometer survey published today shows that 60% of European parents are
worried that their child might become a victim of online grooming (when an
adult befriends a child with the intention of committing sexual abuse) and
54% that their children could be bullied online (harassed on internet sites
or via mobile messages). The new Safer Internet Programme will fight
grooming and bullying by making online software and mobile technologies
more sophisticated and secure. From 2009-2013, the EU will spend € 55
million to make the Internet a safer place.
[02] Commissioner Hübner presents 'vulnerability index' report on
challenges facing regions in 2020
Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner for regional policy, today presents
the findings of the "Regions 2020" report, which provides a first
prospective analysis of the likely regional impact of four of the biggest
challenges facing Europe: globalisation, demographic trends, climate change
and energy use and supply. The findings of the report, produced by the
Commission's Directorate-General for Regional Policy, will feed into the
reflection process on the future European Cohesion Policy.
[03] Les droits de l'enfant: le troisième Forum européen sur les droits
de l'enfant et la cérémonie de remise des prix du concours "La protection
j'y ai droit!"
Aujourd'hui, le troisième Forum européen sur les droits de l'enfant
examinera la question de la participation des enfants l'élaboration des
politiques qui les intéressent et celle de la violence contre les enfants.
Les lauréats de l'édition 2008 du concours "La protection j'y ai droit"
recevront leurs prix: cette année une équipe italienne et une équipe
maltaise ont obtenu le premier prix européen dans les deux catégories
d'âge. Ce concours, organisé par la Direction Générale Justice
Liberté et Sécurité, a permis presque 40 000 jeunes de toute l'Europe
âgés entre 10 et 18 ans de participer la création de plus de 8 000
affiches sur le thème du droit des enfants la protection au sein de
l'Union européenne.
[04] 10 décembre 2008 – Journée internationale des droits de l’homme
Cette année, la Journée internationale des droits de l'homme revêt une
signification particulière. Nous commémorons, en effet, le soixantième
anniversaire de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme,
première étape de l’établissement d'un cadre international global pour
la protection des droits de l'homme. Aujourd'hui, la déclaration
universelle est un des textes fondamentaux qui consacrent le respect des
droits de l'homme comme un principe devant guider les relations
internationales Cette année 2008 est également marquée par le quinzième
anniversaire de la Déclaration et du Programme d'action de Vienne
proclamés par la Conférence mondiale sur les droits de l'homme ainsi que
par le dixième anniversaire de l'adoption par l'Assemblée générale des
Nations unies de la Déclaration sur les défenseurs des droits de
l’homme.
[05] Ten major new EU research infrastructures welcomed by European
Commission
Infectious diseases, carbon dioxide management, natural disasters warning,
space observation: there are among the top priorities areas where 10 new
Pan-European Research Infrastructures will be set up. The European
Commission is supporting this commitment as a key step in building the
European Research Area and addressing the most important needs of society.
This new wave of Research Infrastructures was unveiled today at the
European Conference on Research Infrastructures 2008, jointly organised by
the European Commission and the European Strategy Forum for Research
Infrastructures (ESFRI), in Versailles. The roadmap will include ambitious
projects such as high security labs for research on fatal human pathogens,
cutting edge installations to test technologies for carbon dioxide capture
and storage, state-of-the-art radars to study the Earth’s atmosphere,
infrastructures to better understand the physical processes controlling
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis and new generation telescopes
for high-energy gamma-ray astronomy.
[06] Almost two thirds of enterprises in the EU27 had a website in 2008
In the EU27, 93% of enterprises of ten or more persons employed had access
to the internet in January 2008, the same as in January 2007, and 81% of
enterprises had a broadband internet connection, up from 77% in January
2007. On average in the EU27, 64% of enterprises had a website in January
2008, compared with 63% in January 2007. These data2 come from Eurostat,
the Statistical Office of the European Communities, and form part of the
results of a community survey conducted at the beginning of 2008 on
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in enterprises in the EU27
Member States, Iceland and Norway. Besides the indicators presented, the
survey also covers e-commerce, e-government and e-business indicators.
[07] Commission clears acquisition of Altran by APAX Partners
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Altran Technologies SA
(Altran) of France by APAX Partners SA, also of France. APAX Partners is
active in risk capital investment. Altran provides information and
technology consultancy, strategy and management consultancy. The operation
was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[08] Cancer Meeting with MEPs: Cancer Screening Saves Lives
Every year, 3.2 million Europeans are diagnosed with cancer, most suffer
from breast, colorectal or lung cancers. Today, Health Commissioner,
Androulla Vasiliou, addresses a meeting on Reducing the Burden of Cancer in
Europe - Cancer Screening Saves Lives, organised by the MEPs against Cancer
in the European Parliament. Commissioner Vassiliou presents preliminary
results of the Commission's report on the implementation of the Council
Recommendation on cancer screening (2003/878/EC). Over the last 4 years,
considerable progress in population based screening programmes for breast,
cervical and colorectal cancer has been made in the EU. However, there is
still room for improvement given that less than half of the population who
should be covered by screening according to the Recommendation actually
are. To address these and other health challenges caused by cancer across
the EU, Commissioner Vassiliou announces the Commission intension to form a
European partnership for action against cancer next year. This partnership
will support Member States in their efforts to tackle cancer more
efficiently by providing a framework for identifying and sharing
information, capacity, and expertise in cancer prevention and control, and
by bringing together relevant stakeholders across the EU in a collective
effort to tackle cancer. For more information: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/dyna/vassiliou/speeches_en.cfm">http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/dyna/vassiliou/speeches_en.cfm
[09] Internal Market: International Auditing Conference
The European Commission is organising a conference on international
auditing on 10 December 2008. The aim is to enhance international
cooperation and to promote better cooperation between public oversight
systems. The one-day conference has been structured to cover key aspects
such as: Challenges in setting up and developing effective relationships
between international audit regulators to further strengthen their co-
operation; The practical questions of effective co-operation within the
European Union and co-operation towards third countries from a European
perspective; Third countries' views on how to co-operate with the European
Union. High level representatives from a number of public oversight bodies,
as well as from several international auditing federations and institutions
will participate.The conference starts at 9.30, in the Charlemagne building,
Rue de la Loi 170, Brussels. It can also be followed via web-streaming at:
<a href="http://scic.ec.europa.eu/streaming/charduri">http://scic.ec.europa.eu/streaming/charduri
The programme and more information on statutory audit in relation to non-EU
countries are available at: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/auditing/relations/index_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/auditing/relations/index_en.htm
Rediffusion
[10] Aide d'État: la Commission autorise le régime français de
renforcement des fonds propres de certains établissements de crédit
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu des règles du traité CE
relatives aux aides d'État, un mécanisme de renforcement des fonds
propres d'établissements de crédit, conçu par la France pour stabiliser
les marchés financiers, rétablir la confiance et permettre aux banques en
France d'augmenter leurs prêts l'économie réelle. Ce régime
intervient en complément du régime de refinancement français approuvé
le 30 octobre dernier par la Commission (voir <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1609&format=HTML&aged=0&language=FR&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/1609)
et prévoit des garde-fous adéquats de manière limiter les distorsions de
la concurrence. L'attention de la Commission a s essentiellement porté sur
le niveau de la rémunération de l'État pour ses apports en capitaux
ainsi que sur la mise en place de mécanismes permettant de s'assurer que
la présence de l'État dans le capital des banques est limitée dans le
temps au strict minimum. Dans ce contexte, les autorités françaises ont
adapté le niveau de la rémunération et instauré un mécanisme de sur-
remboursement du capital permettant d'atteindre cet objectif. Ces garde-
fous inciteront les banques bénéficiaires se retourner vers les
opérateurs privés dès que les conditions le permettront et éviter ainsi
tout effet d'éviction sur les marchés de capitaux. Ces conditions sont
essentielles pour limiter l'intervention publique ce qui est nécessaire
pour restaurer la confiance sur les marchés financiers La Commission a
donc conclu que le régime constitue un moyen approprié, nécessaire et
proportionné afin de remédier une perturbation grave de l'économie
française. Ce régime est, ce titre, compatible avec les règles en
matière d'aides d'État (Article 87.3.b) telles qu'explicitées dans la
Communication sur leur application aux banques en temps de crise (voir <a
href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1495&format=HTML&aged=0&language=FR&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/1495).
[11] 15 companies ready to join the SESAR Joint Undertaking
The SESAR Joint Undertaking, a unique public-private partnership in air
traffic management research, was inaugurated today in Brussels. Fifteen
companies are ready to join this EUR 2.1 billion programme, which is the
first of its kind in aviation history. The SESAR JU is now poised to tackle
its vital mission: to develop a modernised air traffic management system
for Europe, which will avert the crippling congestion of the European sky
and reduce the environmental impact of air transport. The ceremony was
hosted by Dominique Bussereau, French Minister for Transports and Antonio
Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of transport.
David McMillan, Director General of EUROCONTROL and representatives of the
European air transport community were also present.
[12] Member States approve the phasing-out of incan-descent bulbs by 2012
At today's meeting of the Ecodesign Regulatory Committee, EU Member States
experts endorsed the European Commission's proposals for a regulation
progressively phasing out incandescent bulbs starting in 2009 and finishing
at the end of 2012. By enforcing the regulation of switching to energy
saving bulbs, EU citizens will save close to 40 TWh (roughly the
electrictity consumption of Romania, or of 11 million European households,
or the equivalent of the yearly output of 10 power stations of 500
megawatts) and will lead to a reduction of about 15 million tons of CO2
emission per year.
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
• Memo on SESAR incorporates unique public-private partnership to
modernise European sky
• Memo Transport Council – 09 December 2008
• Speech by Commissioner Potočnik 'Research Infrastructures for Science
and Society', Versailles
• Discours du Vice président Barrot au Forum européen sur les droits de
l'enfant, Bruxelles
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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