|
|
|
European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-04-25
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
25/04/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Electrabel: la Commission obtient satisfaction sur la r�vision des
statuts des intercommunales mixtes de distribution d'�lectricit� en
Belgique
[02] Commission clears franchise of UK privatised Thameslink Railway
network
[03] Commission clears Liner Shipping Consortia
[04] Commission refers the case Rheinmetall/British Aerospace/STN Atlas to
the Bundeskartellamt
[05] "EUR" - abr�viation officielle de l'euro
[06] Nouveau Syst�me de Transit Informatis� - la Commission organise une
conf�rence � Bruxelles le 28 avril 1997
[07] Jo�o de Deus Pinheiro welcomes South Africa's accession to the Lom�
Convention: an historical event
[08] Commission proposes reduced anti-dumping duties on cotton
[09] Kyrgyzstan: Commission approves humanitarian aid worth ECU 2.15
million
[01] Electrabel: la Commission obtient satisfaction sur la r�vision des
statuts des intercommunales mixtes de distribution d'�lectricit� en
Belgique
La Commission europ�enne a d�cid� de suspendre l'action qu'elle avait
entam�e contre Electrabel et les intercommunales mixtes de distribution
d'�lectricit� en Belgique au titre d'une �ventuelle infraction aux r�gles
de concurrence europ�ennes. La d�cision de la Commission intervient apr�s
la pr�sentation par Electrabel - une filiale de la Soci�t� G�n�rale de
Belgique active dans le secteur de la production et de la distribution
d'�l�ctricit� - et par Intermixt, l'organe groupant les repr�sentants des
communes au sein des intercommunales mixtes, d'un ensemble de propositions
qui repondent aux critiques formul�es par la Commission au printemps de
1996 � l'encontre de l'adoption de nouveaux statuts (appel�s "statuts de 3�
g�n�ration") par les intercommunales mixtes. La Commission se satisfait de
cette �volution qui permettra, d�s 2006, l'ouverture d'une part
significative de la consommation des intercommunales mixtes � la
concurrence. Cette ouverture pourrait constituer une opportunit�
importante pour plusieurs producteurs ind�pendants ou pour d'autres
producteurs europ�ens d�sireux d'�tre actifs sur le march� belge de
l'�lectricit�. La dynamique de concurrence qui a �t� ins�r�e dans les
nouveaux statuts suite � l'intervention de la Commission devra profiter aux
consommateurs domestiques et aux petites et moyennes entreprises raccord�es
aux r�seaux des intercommunales mixtes.
[02] Commission clears franchise of UK privatised Thameslink Railway
network
The European Commission has approved under the Merger Regulation the
acquisition by Go-Ahead plc (United Kingdom) and Via G�n�rale de Transport
et d'Industrie (France) of the former British Rail company which operates
the Thameslink line, the passenger service connecting Bedford, London and
Brighton. The operation confers upon Thameslink the right to operate the
service for seven years; the tender procedure will then be repeated. The
Commission has approved this acquisition after concluding that it will not
lead to increases in market shares.
[03] Commission clears Liner Shipping Consortia
The European Commission has decided that the Joint Operational Service
Agreement and the West Coast/Mediterranean Agreement can benefit from the
group exemption for liner shipping consortia. The two agreements will be
exempt until 21 April 2000. The Joint Operational Service is a joint liner
shipping service between the ports of Felixstowe, Antwerp, Rotterdam and
Hamburg and the port of Limassol in Cyprus and the ports of Ashdod and
Haifa in Israel. The West Coast/Mediterranean Service is a joint liner
shipping between the ports of Liverpool and Dublin and the ports of Lisbon,
Leixoes, Malta, Palermo, Salerno, Piraeus, Limassol in Cyprus and Ashdod
and Haifa in Israel.
[04] Commission refers the case Rheinmetall/British Aerospace/STN Atlas to
the Bundeskartellamt
The European Commission has decided to refer the planned acquisition of
joint control in STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH (STN) from Bremer Vulkan (in
receivership) by Rheinmetall AG (Rheinmetall) and British Aerospace Public
Limited Company (BA) to the Bundeskartellamt for further investigation
according to Article 9 of the merger control Regulation, to the extent that
the markets for systems leadership for armoured vehicles are concerned.
This is a clearly limited aspect of the planned concentration, an aspect
which relates to national product markets which have traditionally only
been accessible to a marginal extent to foreign competition. At the same
time, the Commission reached the conclusion that, apart from these markets,
the proposed concentration would not lead to the creation or strengthening
of a dominant market position and therefore declared it compatible with the
common market with the exception of those aspects mentioned.
[05] "EUR" - abr�viation officielle de l'euro
La Commission europ�enne se f�licite de la d�cision du "Maintenance Agency
for ISO 4217", organe charg� de la fixation des abr�viations des monnaies,
de d�signer l'abr�viation "EUR" pour l'euro. Cette nouvelle abr�viation a
�t� �tablie maintenant afin de progresser dans les pr�paratifs techniques
pour l'introduction de l'euro. Elle est destin�e � s'appliquer dans le
cadre des relations commerciales et bancaires qui se fondent sur les
repr�sentations des monnaies internationalement reconnues.
[06] Nouveau Syst�me de Transit Informatis� - la Commission organise une
conf�rence � Bruxelles le 28 avril 1997
La Commission europ�enne organisera, le 28 avril � Bruxelles, une
conf�rence sur le Nouveau Syst�me de Transit Informatis� (NSTI) r�unissant
les repr�sentants des institutions communautaires ainsi que les op�rateurs
�conomiques et les autorit�s nationales de 31 pays europ�ens (des �tats
membres, des pays de l'AELE, des pays d'Europe centrale et orientale ainsi
que de Turquie, Andorre et Saint Marin). Le but de cette conf�rence est de
pr�senter aux milieux �conomiques le nouveau syst�me informatis� de transit
douanier et de les impliquer de mani�re active dans sa finalisation et sa
mise en oeuvre d�s 1998. Le projet NSTI se situe au coeur de la r�forme
des syst�mes de transit, dont la Commission entend d�finir les grandes
lignes par une communication et un plan d'action qu'elle adoptera ces
prochains jours. Un tel syst�me, correspondant aux exigences modernes de
fonctionnement des proc�dures douani�res, doit apporter au transit des
�l�ments d'efficacit� et de s�curit� � l'�gard des fraudes qui lui font
d�faut aujourd'hui.
[07] Jo�o de Deus Pinheiro welcomes South Africa's accession to the Lom�
Convention: an historical event
Jo�o de Deus Pinheiro, European Development Commissioner believes that
"South Africa will bring new strength and dynamism, to the Lom� Convention
between the European Union (EU) and African Caribbean and Pacific Countries
(ACP)". Speaking in Luxembourg after the EU and ACP countries had agreed
on the terms of South Africa's membership of the Lom� Convention, the
Commissioner "congratulated the people and the Government of South Africa
who brought their country from isolation right into the heart of ACP/EU
family of States". "This is an event of 'historical significance' ", he
said. "22 years after the signing of the first Lom� Convention, it finally
includes all of sub-Saharan Africa".
[08] Commission proposes reduced anti-dumping duties on cotton
The European Commission is proposing that the Council should impose
definitive anti-dumping measures on imports of grey cotton fabric into the
European Union, though at a lower rate than the provisional duties that
have been in force since November last year. This follows in-depth
analysis into the impact of the anti-dumping duties on European producers
and finishers of cotton fabric. The investigation has confirmed that the
dumping of cut-price imports has caused European competitors to suffer a
decline in sales, strong downward pressure on prices and financial losses.
The Commission's continued investigation has led it to revise the perceived
dumping margin downwards, and as a result the overall level of proposed
duties will drop from 19% to an average of some 15%. Furthermore, the
Commission is proposing to exclude one product, medical gauze, from the
duties given the specific nature and use of the product. The duties cover
imports from India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, China and Egypt.
[09] Kyrgyzstan: Commission approves humanitarian aid worth ECU 2.15
million
The European Commission has approved a package of humanitarian aid worth
ECU 2.15 million for Kyrgyzstan with the aim of providing drugs and medical
equipment, especially in outlying regions where few people can afford
medicines; and to distribute food aid to those in the greatest need,
especially the elderly, the disabled, and single-parent families. The aid,
managed by the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), will enable
members of the Red Cross family and other non-governmental organisations to
carry out programmes over the next six to nine months.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
|
