|
|
|
EU News Flashes and Events for 97-02-18
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS
[01] Ministers tackle unemployment
[02] Belgian EMU plan gets good marks
[03] No report on Italy - De Silguy
[04] German lack of commitment to EMU
[05] Ministers discuss tobacco report
[06] Progress on cattle passport
[07] Regional food agreement delayed
[08] Dutch ban pig markets
[09] Regional easing of UK beef ban
[10] Single market pressure/Monti
[11] EU foreign policy for "Big 3"
[12] Telecoms trade deal welcomed
[13] EU search in Dutch Opel offices
[14] Anglo/Lonrho report "speculation"
[15] Main EU events for February 18
[01] Ministers tackle unemployment
BRUSSELS - European Union finance ministers, under fire over mounting
unemployment in Europe, stressed on Monday that the path to greater jobs
growth rested with structural reform of their labour markets.
[02] Belgian EMU plan gets good marks
BRUSSELS - Belgium's EMU convergence plan for the 1997-2000 period is credible
and adequate, European Union finance ministers said in draft conclusions drawn
up at their ECOFIN council meeting on Monday.
[03] No report on Italy - De Silguy
BRUSSELS - European Commissioner for monetary affairs Yves-Thibault de Silguy
denied on Monday the Commission was studying how to keep Italy out of a single
currency in 1999.
[04] German lack of commitment to EMU
FRANKFURT - Italy's prime minister Romano Prodi on Monday accused Germany of
lacking political commitment to Europe's single currency, saying that Rome was
making more effort to tackle its current problems than the Bonn government.
[05] Ministers discuss tobacco report
BRUSSELS - European Union farm ministers on Monday discussed a tobacco report
urging that EU subsidies be aimed at improving quality and encouraging farmers
to stop production, EU officials said.
[06] Progress on cattle passport
BRUSSELS - European Union farm ministers on Monday made progress on proposed
cattle passport and beef labelling schemes and plan to tie up an agreement in
March, a European Commission spokesman said.
[07] Regional food agreement delayed
BRUSSELS - Farm ministers postponed on Monday agreement to extend the
transitional period for imposing new rules to protect feta cheese and other
regional food products from competitors using the same brand names.
[08] Dutch ban pig markets
AMSTERDAM - The Dutch ministry for Agricultural Affairs said on Monday it had
banned concentrating pigs in any one place throughout the whole country from
Tuesday, February 18.
[09] Regional easing of UK beef ban
BRUSSELS - Irish agriculture minister Ivan Yates said on Monday that most
European Union member states favoured a regional approach to easing a
worldwide ban on British beef exports.
[10] Single market pressure/Monti
BRUSSELS - European Union Internal Market Commissioner Mario Monti plans to
step up public pressure on member states to implement and comply with single
market rules by publishing regularly how each of them is performing.
[11] EU foreign policy for "Big 3"
BONN - External affairs commissioner Hans van den Broek suggested on Monday
giving Britain, Germany and France a bigger say in a future common foreign
policy as a way to forge consensus on the issue.
[12] Telecoms trade deal welcomed
BRUSSELS - European Union nations on Monday welcomed the global telecoms trade
deal hammered out at the weekend and many predicted it would give rise to
employment growth and investment opportunities for years to come.
[13] EU search in Dutch Opel offices
AMSTERDAM - Opel Nederland, the Dutch subsidiary of Germany's Adam Opel AG,
confirmed on Monday that EU officials had searched its offices in Sliedrecht
and the premises of an independent Dutch Opel dealer late last year.
[14] Anglo/Lonrho report "speculation"
BRUSSELS - A European Commission spokesman said on Monday that a British press
report that the Commission will block a 28-percent stake held by South African
mining group Anglo American Corp in rival company Lonrho Plc was "pure
speculation".
[15] Main EU events for February 18
BRUSSELS - U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright meets European
Commission President Santer at 0815 GMT, Commissioners Brittan, de Silguy,
Bonino and van den Broek; discussions focus on the New Transatlantic Agenda,
EMU, relations with Africa; EU enlargement to the east - followed by a joint
news conference with Santer and Brittan (to be confirmed).
STRASBOURG - European Parliament plenary session begins at 0800 GMT (second of
five days); debates report on handling of mad cow crisis.
BRUSSELS - North Atlantic Council informal discussions of key issues facing
NATO, including NATO-Russia relations, begin at 1330 GMT; U.S. Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright attends; NATO Secretary General Javier Solana holds
news conference at 1615 GMT.
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
|
