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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 96-12-19
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Spokesman's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb
19/12/1996
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] R�sultats de la Commission du 18 d�cembre -Outcome of Commission
meeting of 18 December
[01] Commission has decided to authorize genetically modified maize in the
light of available scientific advice
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] Cohesion Fund: ECU 445 million for environmental and transport
projects in Portugal
[03] Cohesion Fund: ECU 333 million for environment and transport sector in
Greece
[04] La Commission octroie 170 millions d'Ecus pour le programme "Energia"
en Italie
[05] Feu vert pour un programme environnemental en Espagne
[06] La Commission accord un soutien financier substantiel aux r�seaux
trans-europ�ens de transports
[07] Feu vert � la cr�ation d'Iridium, un syst�me de communications
personnelles globales par satellites (S-PCS)
[08] Commission clears a notified agreement concerning the Britannia gas
field
[09] S�curit� des transports de mati�res radioactives: 18 �tudes financ�es
par la Commission
[10] Commission acts on major accident hazards and takes legal action
against Germany and Spain
[11] Commission acts to protect wild birds in France and to ensure habitat
protection in Ireland
[12] Commission takes legal action against Belgium and Ireland for not
implementing rules concerning water pollution
[13] Hans van den Broek visits Hungary
[14] MEDA: financement pour 55 millions d'Ecus en faveur du Maroc et du
Liban
[15] Policy advice to the governments of the New Independent Sates and
Mongolia: Tacis signs a contract for ECU 12 million
[16] Phare funds help to smooth ethnic differences in Estonia
[I] R�sultats de la Commission du 18 d�cembre -Outcome of Commission
meeting of 18 December (voir aussi - see also Midday Express du 18/12)
[01] Commission has decided to authorize genetically modified maize in the
light of available scientific advice
The European Commision decided to authorize the placing on the market of
genetically modified maize notified by Ciba-Geigy in accordance with
Directive 90/220. The decision was based on reports from three Scientific
Committees: The Scientific Committee on Food, The Scientific Committee on
Animal Nutrition and The Scientific Committee for Pesticides. In their
reports the committees confirmed the Commission's proposal on maize which
had been discussed in the June Environment Council. The Commission
considered carefully the question of labelling and took note of the
forthcoming regulation on Novel Foods and of the foreseen revision of
Directive 90/220 in 1997.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] Cohesion Fund: ECU 445 million for environmental and transport
projects in Portugal
Portugal is to receive ECU 445.4 million from the EU's Cohesion Fund to
finance a number of projects in the environmental and transport sector.
ECU 348.1 million is provided for the environmental sector, while ECU 97.3
million will be put up for infrastructure projects. The funding will go to
projects such as solid waste treatment in the North of Lisbon or the
modernisation of the port of Leix�es. The contribution of the Cohesion
Fund to all of the approved project represents 85% of the total public
expenditure.
[03] Cohesion Fund: ECU 333 million for environment and transport sector in
Greece
Greece is to receive ECU 333 million from the EU's Cohesion Fund to finance
a number of projects in the environmental and transport sector. ECU 324.1
million will be provided for the transport sector, while ECU 88.9 million
will be provided for the environmental sector. The funding will go to
projects such as the new railway line Thriassio Pedio - Elefsis - Korinthos,
the PATHE-motorway or the wastewater treatment facilities at Kalambaka -
Meteora or Villia. The Cohesion Fund contribution for all of the approved
projects varies between 80 to 85% of public expenditure.
[04] La Commission octroie 170 millions d'Ecus pour le programme "Energia"
en Italie
La Commission europ�enne a donn� le feut vert pour le programme italien
"ENERGIA". Ce programme pr�voit le financement des infrastructures
n�cessaires � compl�ter le r�seau de gaz naturel, ainsi que la
modernisation et le d�veloppement du r�seau �l�ctrique. Le co�t total du
Programme est de 485 millions d'Ecus, dont 170 millions d'Ecus de
cofinancement communautaire au titre du Fonds europ�en de d�veloppement
r�gional (FEDER), 111 millions d'Ecus de contribution publique et 204
millions d'Ecus de contribution priv�e assur�e par ENEL S.p.A.
[05] Feu vert pour un programme environnemental en Espagne
La Commission europ�enne a donn� le feut vert pour le programme
environmental espagnol PITMA II (PITMA: Programa Industrial y Tecnologico
Medioambiental). Ce programme a comme but l'aide aux entreprises
industrielles et doit contribuer � adapter les installations industrielles
� la l�gislation environnementale et � renforcer le d�veloppement et
l�application d��quipements, technologies et services appropri�s. L'aide
communautaire s��l�ve � 59,7 millions d'Ecus � charge du Fonds europ�en de
d�veloppement r�gional (FEDER) et repr�sente 70% des d�penses publiques
�ligibles. Les investissements qui seront mobilis�es par le secteur
industriel sont estim�s � 538,41 millions d'Ecus.
[06] La Commission accord un soutien financier substantiel aux r�seaux
trans-europ�ens de transports
L'engagement sans faille de la Commission europ�enne en faveur des r�seaux
trans-europ�ens (RTE) se confirme, comme en t�moignent les concours
financiers de 280 millions d'Ecus en faveur de 107 projets d'infrastructures
de transports qu'elle vient d'accorder dans le cadre du budget 1996. La
part la plus importante est destin�e aux 14 projects sp�cifiques confirm�s
par le Conseil europ�en d'Essen de d�cembre 1994. Des d�penses de 352
millions d'Ecus pour les RTE de transports sont pr�vus en 1997, auxquelles
s'ajoutera une enveloppe de 100 millions d'Ecus du programme PHARE en
faveur des infrastructures de transports dans le cadre de projets trans-
frontaliers dans les pays d'Europe centrale et orientale.
[07] Feu vert � la cr�ation d'Iridium, un syst�me de communications
personnelles globales par satellites (S-PCS)
La Commission europ�enne a donn� son feu vert � la cr�ation d'Iridium, un
consortium conduit par l'entreprise am�ricaine Motorola, dont l'objectif
est de fournir, d'ici au dernier trimestre 1998, des services de
communications num�riques sans fil � l'�chelle mondiale, utilisant un
ensemble de 66 satellites qui seront d�ploy�s en orbite basse. Il s'agira
de services de t�l�phonie vocale mobile, de recherches de personnes et de
transmission de donn�es (dont la t�l�copie, par exemple) qui seront fournis
par l'interm�diaire de t�l�phones portatifs (bimodes ou monomodes), de
t�l�phones install�s dans les v�hicules, de r�cepteurs d'appels et autres
�quipements dont disposeront les abonn�s. Comme Iridium ne limitera pas la
concurrence, sa cr�ation est consid�r�e comme tombant en dehors du champ
d'application des articles 85(1) du Trait� CE et 53(1) de l'Accord sur
l'Espace Economique Europ�en.
[08] Commission clears a notified agreement concerning the Britannia gas
field
The European Commission has cleared an Agreement notified by the companies
participating in the development of the Britannia gas field in the United
Kingdom. The notified oral agreement concerned the decision by the
participating companies to appoint one of their number as the single sales
negotiator on behalf of them all. The Commission has concluded that this
Agreement did not affect trade between Member States and was therefore
outside the scope of the European Community's competition rules. This was
a factual determination relating solely to the notified oral agreement
which was in force between February 1992 and the end of 1994.
[09] S�curit� des transports de mati�res radioactives: 18 �tudes financ�es
par la Commission
La Commission europ�enne a d�cid� d�allouer une aide financi�re de deux
millions d�Ecus � la r�alisation de dix-huit projets visant � trouver les
moyens d�am�liorer la s�curit� des transports de mati�res radioactives. Il
s�agit essentiellement de travaux d��valuation et d�exp�rimentation
n�cessaires pour harmoniser et am�liorer les conditions de transport dans
le secteur nucl�aire.
[10] Commission acts on major accident hazards and takes legal action
against Germany and Spain
The European Commission has decided further steps in legal actions against
Germany and Spain for failing to respect Community directive on major
accident hazards (the "Seveso" Directive). The Commission will lodge an
application before the European Court of Justice against Germany and send a
Reasoned Opinion to Spain.
[11] Commission acts to protect wild birds in France and to ensure habitat
protection in Ireland
The European Commission has decided to take further steps in legal actions
against France (reasoned opinion) and Ireland (application to the European
Court of Justice) for failing to respect Community nature conservation
legislation. France has not fully implemented the Directive on the
conservation of wild birds. Ireland has still not adopted national
legislation to give effect to the Directive on the conservation of natural
habitats and of wild flora and fauna.
[12] Commission takes legal action against Belgium and Ireland for not
implementing rules concerning water pollution
The European Commission has decided to take further steps in legal action
against Belgium (application to the European Court of Justice) and Ireland
(reasoned opinion) for failing to respect the Community Directive on
dangerous substances in water.
[13] Hans van den Broek visits Hungary
Commissioner Hans van den Broek, responsible for relations with Central and
Eastern European countries, will pay an official visit to Hungary today and
tomorrow. The Commissioner will meet the Hungarian President Arpad G�ncz,
Prime Minister Gyula Horn, as well as other members of the Hungarian
government. Furthermore, meetings are foreseen with the President of the
Hungarian Parliament, Mr Zoltan Gal, members of the Hungarian Parliament,
and the President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In addition, the
Commissioner will address a conference of Hungarian businessmen.
[14] MEDA: financement pour 55 millions d'Ecus en faveur du Maroc et du
Liban
La Commission europ�enne vient de d�cider le financement de deux projets
dans le cadre du programme MEDA. Il s'agit d'un projet de pistes et routes
rurales au Maroc (30 millions d'Ecus) et d'un projet de plan
d'investissement au Liban (25 millions d'Ecus). Le r�glement MEDA est
l'instrument financier de l'Union europ�enne dans le cadre du Partenariat
Eurom�diterran�en. Dot� d'un montant de 3.425 millions d'Ecus pour la
p�riode 1996-1999, il est destin� aux financements de projets dans les pays
et territoires suivants: Alg�rie, Chypre, Egypte, Isra�l, Jordanie, Liban,
Malte, Maroc, Syrie, Tunisie, Turquie, territoires occup�s de Gaza et de la
Cisjordanie.
[15] Policy advice to the governments of the New Independent Sates and
Mongolia: Tacis signs a contract for ECU 12 million
The European Commission signed an ECU 12 million contract with a consortium
of consultants for the management of the Tacis European Expertise Service
(EES). The principal objective of the EES is to provide high level advice
to the Governments, Parliaments and other relevant decision and policy-
making bodies and institutions of the New Independent States (NIS) and
Mongolia.
[16] Phare funds help to smooth ethnic differences in Estonia
The European Commission decided to allocate ECU 1.4 million from Phare
funds for language training for non-Estonians in Estonia. An appropriate
solution for the issue of the large minority of non-Estonian speakers in
Estonia is an important element in the preparation of Estonia for full
membership of the European Union.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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