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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-05-07
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
07/05/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission receives the final report of the Business Environment
Simplification Task Force (BEST)
[02] Comptabilit� : communication de la Commission sur le contr�le l�gal
des comptes dans l'Union europ�enne
[03] Business and Consumer surveys for April 1998 : favorable economic
conditions in Europe
[04] Investissements publics et priv�s dans l'UE
[05] Commission approves the merger of Commercial Union and General
Accident
[06] Samedi 9 mai 1998 : Journ�e Portes Ouvertes au Parlement, au Conseil,
� la Commission et au Comit� des r�gions
[07] Conf�rence � Bruxelles sur l'insertion des jeunes par l'�ducation et
la formation
[08] Crise alimentaire nord-cor�enne : la Commission affecte une enveloppe
de 30 millions d'Ecus
[09] Nicaragua : Commission approves humanitarian aid worth ECU 1.56
million
[10] Central and East Africa : operation ECHO-Flight funding extended
[11] Neil Kinnock urges new approach to port policy
[01] Commission receives the final report of the Business Environment
Simplification Task Force (BEST)
European Commissioner Christos Papoutsis today received the final report of
the Business Environment Simplification Task Force or BEST as it has become
known. The report was formally handed to Mr Papoutsis by Professor Chris
Evans, BEST's Chairman, on behalf of the 15 members of the BEST Task Force.
The objective set for BEST by Commissioner Papoutsis when establishing the
Task Force in September 1997 was to prepare an independent report which
would make proposals for concrete measures to be taken by the Commission
and the Member States in order to improve the regulatory and administrative
environment and reduce the burdens which restrict the growth and job
creation potential of businesses, particularly small and medium sized
enterprises (SMEs). The central theme during BEST's considerations has
been the promotion of enterprise and entrepreneurship along with the
related concerns to enhance the competitiveness of European SMEs. BEST has
produced 19 main specific recommendations each containing at least two
possible action lines. These include recommendations on education and
training, simplification of administrative procedures, combating late
payments, making taxation more business friendly and accessing new
technologies and encouraging innovation.
[02] Comptabilit� : communication de la Commission sur le contr�le l�gal
des comptes dans l'Union europ�enne
Une communication sur l'�volution future du contr�le l�gal des comptes dans
l'Union europ�enne vient d'�tre adopt�e par la Commission europ�enne. La
communication pr�sente les grandes lignes d'un programme de travail dont
les principaux volets portent sur la r�vision des normes en mati�re d'audit
comptable, les syst�mes de contr�le de la qualit� de l'audit et les r�gles
relatives � l'ind�pendance des contr�leurs l�gaux. Ces travaux, qui seront
principalement entrepris dans le cadre du nouveau comit� sur le contr�le
l�gal des comptes, auront pour objectif d'am�liorer la qualit� et la
coh�rence du contr�le l�gal dans l'ensemble des Etats membres, de mani�re �
fournir une plus grande certitude aux utilisateurs des �tats financiers, en
particulier les investisseurs, les cr�anciers et les salari�s, et
d'encourager de la sorte l'investissement transfrontalier. La Commission
n'envisage pas, au stade actuel, de modifier ou de compl�ter la l�gislation
existante, mais elle n'h�sitera pas � pr�senter ult�rieurement des
propositions l�gislatives si cela s'av�rait n�cessaire.
[03] Business and Consumer surveys for April 1998 : favorable economic
conditions in Europe
The latest results from the business and consumer surveys conducted by the
European Commission's Directorate General for economic and financial
affairs are published today. The economic sentiment indicator rose again
and reached a historically high level, above the peak recorded in the late
eighties. The main factor behind the favorable economic sentiment is the
buoyant stock markets, which continue to soar. Consumer confidence
remained on the same high level as last month, which was also the case for
the expected financial situation of households and the expected general
economic situation. By contrast, the present general economic situation
was considered to be better. European industrialists' production
expectations and assessments of order books and, in particular, export
order books was revised downwards in April, contributing to a slight drop
in the industrial confidence indicator. The rate of capacity utilisation
in manufacturing industry improved again, reaching 83.6% for the European
Union as a whole in April.
[04] Investissements publics et priv�s dans l'UE
Les investissements publics et priv�s dans l'Union europ�enne (UE),
formation brute de capital fixe (FBCF), ont atteint leur niveau le plus bas
et ne repr�sentaient plus que 18,4% du PIB en 1996, comme l'indique
aujourd'hui Eurostat, l'Office statistique des Communaut�s europ�ennes �
Luxembourg. Le Portugal (24,2%), l'Autriche (23,4%) et l'Allemagne (20,6%)
ont enregistr� les pourcentages les plus �lev�s alors que les taux les plus
faibles ont �t� observ�s en Su�de (14,8%), au Royaume-Uni (15,1%), en
Finlande (16,1%) et au Danemark (16,8%). A l'�chelle de l'UE, ce
pourcentage s'est chiffr� � 18,8% en 1995, contre 22,0% en 1980. Au cours
des ann�es 1980, le taux le plus faible a �t� de 19,2% en 1985 et en 1986.
De 1985 � 1996, de fortes baisses ont �t� enregistr�es en Italie (de 20,7%
� 17,0%) et en Finlande (de 24,0% � 16,1%). En 1996, la FBCF des
administrations publiques correspondait, dans l'ensemble de l'UE, � 2,4% du
PIB, atteignant ainsi un nouveau record � la baisse. En 1980, elle
s'�levait � 3,2%. La FBCF priv�e atteignait 16,0% du PIB en 1996. Entre
1980 et 1994, elle est pass�e de 18,9% � 15,9%. La FBCF priv�e comprend
tout les investissements qui n'ont pas �t� enregistr�s dans le secteur des
administrations publiques, y compris les entreprises publiques tels les
chemins de fer.
[05] Commission approves the merger of Commercial Union and General
Accident
The European Commission has approved the merger of the two United Kingdom
(UK) composite insurers Commercial Union and General Accident. The main
impact of the merger will be in the non-life insurance sector in the UK,
where it will have only a limited effect in terms of industry
concentration. There are strong competitors, such as Royal Sun Alliance
Guardian, Legal and General, etc., who will be able to limit the effects of
the concentration even in the classes of insurance where combined market
shares will be highest (travel insurance, commercial property insurance,
and fidelity guarantee insurance). Other factors which limit the effects
of the concentration include the fact that insurance companies usually have
the expertise and resources to offer new product lines when profitable,
that there is evidence of increasing cross-border trade in non-life markets,
and that insurance distribution networks are undergoing a significant
degree of change (in the form of direct telephone selling by underwriters
for example).
[06] Samedi 9 mai 1998 : Journ�e Portes Ouvertes au Parlement, au Conseil,
� la Commission et au Comit� des r�gions
Pour la troisi�me fois, le Parlement europ�en, le Conseil de l'Union
europ�enne, la Commission europ�enne et le Comit� des r�gions organisent
une Journ�e Portes Ouvertes conjointe le 9 mai prochain. Le Comit�
�conomique et social s'y associera. Le public pourra visiter les b�timents
"Espace L�opold", "Justus Lipsius", "Breydel", le si�ge du Comit� des
r�gions (79, rue Belliard) et l'Euro Info Point au Rond-Point Schuman.
Cette initiative qui, cette ann�e, co�ncide avec la F�te de l'Europe
(anniversaire de la d�claration de Robert Schuman le 9 mai 1950), traduit
la volont� de transparence et de proximit� vis-�-vis du citoyen des
institutions europ�ennes.
[07] Conf�rence � Bruxelles sur l'insertion des jeunes par l'�ducation et
la formation
Edith Cresson, membre de la Commission europ�enne, responsable pour
l'�ducation, la formation et la jeunesse, ouvre aujourd'hui une conf�rence
de deux jours sur le th�me "Insertion de tous les jeunes dans la soci�t�
par l'�ducation et la formation". Faisant suite aux recommandations du
Sommet europ�en pour l'emploi des 20 et 21 novembre 1997, la conf�rence
vise � d�velopper des propositions concr�tes dans diff�rents domaines qui
touchent les jeunes en difficult�, notamment la formation des formateurs,
l'usage des nouvelles technologies, la validation des connaissances, le
r�le des entreprises dans la formation et le partenariat local.
[08] Crise alimentaire nord-cor�enne : la Commission affecte une enveloppe
de 30 millions d'Ecus
Face � la poursuite de la crise alimentaire en Cor�e du Nord, la Commission
europ�enne lance un programme int�gr� de 30 millions d'Ecus d'aide
alimentaire et d'actions d'appui � la r�habilitation du secteur agricole.
La Commission fournira 86.000 tonnes d'aide alimentaire afin de pourvoir
aux besoins humanitaires imm�diats mais fournira �galement 30.000 tonnes de
fertilisants et financera des projets pilotes et d'assistance technique
dans le but d'encourager les efforts pour r�habiliter et moderniser le
secteur agricole nord-cor�en.
[09] Nicaragua : Commission approves humanitarian aid worth ECU 1.56
million
The European Commission has approved humanitarian aid worth ECU 1.56
million for public health-related projects in Nicaragua. The aid, managed
by the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), will enable European
non-governmental organisations to carry out programmes over the next nine
months. Nicaragua's poverty has depressed public health standards, and
epidemics are a constant worry. Cholera, diarrhoea, and diseases carried
by mosquitoes, including malaria and dengue fever, are now widespread. The
government has appealed for help, mainly in reinforcing preventive
measures. ECHO's partners will be involved in projects to provide clean
drinking water, adequate sanitation, medicines and medical aid, as well as
health education programmes. The non-governmental organisations working on
this project are : Movimiento Por la Paz, el Desarme y la Libertad (Spain),
Gruppo Volontario Civile (Italy), Solidaridad Internacional (Spain),
Movimondo (Italy) and Action contre la Faim (France).
[10] Central and East Africa : operation ECHO-Flight funding extended
The European Commission has approved funding worth ECU 8.8 million to
support Operation ECHO-Flight to continue for a year until end-March 1999.
ECHO-Flight, managed by the European Community Humanitarian Office, enables
humanitarian aid to be flown into crisis-stricken areas of Somalia,
Southern Sudan and Mali. Launched in May 1994, the service involves seven
aircraft based in Nairobi, Djibouti, Mandera, Bamako and Lokichoggio. ECHO
Flight is a lifeline in a region where overland transport is too hazardous
because of security risks and lack of roads. ECHO Flight carries
passengers and cargo, as well as organising evacuations in emergency
medical cases and on grounds of security. The service is designed
primarily for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in humanitarian
aid operations. It is free of charge to them and funded jointly by the
Commission and Member States. Between May 1994 and April 1998, ECHO-Flight
clocked up over 42,000 flight hours. It has carried over 117,000
passengers, as well as 3,380,000 kg of food, medical supplies and materials
to support humanitarian aid programmes. Among NGOs that have used the ECHO-
Flight service are M�decins Sans Fronti�res (Netherlands and Spain), Action
Contre la Faim (France) and Save the Children Fund (UK). In all, over 100
NGOs have access to the service.
[11] Neil Kinnock urges new approach to port policy
"Even though the European Union's (EU) port sector handles 90 per cent of
EU trade with third countries, ports have never received the attention they
deserve in the Community transport policy", Neil Kinnock, European
Commissioner responsible for Transport Policy, said today. He told a
Barcelona conference on "The future perspectives for European Sea Ports"
that the Commission's Green Paper on ports and maritime infrastructure aims
to maximise the potential of the port sector and is based on three main
policy approaches : initiatives to improve port efficiency, actions to
improve port infrastructure and the integration of ports into the transport
system and measures to ensure free and fair competition in the port sector.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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