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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-11-17
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
17/11/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] R�ponses de la Commission au rapport annuel de la Cour des comptes
1997 - les r�formes commencent � produire leurs effets
[02] Commission clears acquisition of control of BHF by ING
[03] Commission and NGOs hold dialogue on the Millennium Round
[04] "Moderniser les services publics de l'emploi pour soutenir la
strat�gie europ�enne de l'emploi"
[05] European Urban and Regional Awards Ceremony - 18 November 1998
[01] R�ponses de la Commission au rapport annuel de la Cour des comptes
1997 - les r�formes commencent � produire leurs effets
La Commission europ�enne a confirm� son grand attachement � l'am�lioration
de la gestion financi�re et � un partage des responsabilit�s avec les Etats
membres en s'effor�ant d'am�liorer la gestion des finances dans les
domaines de l'agriculture et des Fonds structurels. Ces domaines absorbent
en effet l'essentiel des d�penses de l'Union europ�enne et leur gestion
financi�re rel�ve principalement des Etats membres. La Commission a
r�pondu aujourd'hui aux observations pr�sent�es par la Cour des comptes
dans son rapport annuel 1997. "Notre objectif premier est de faire profiter
au maximum les citoyens europ�ens des fonds de l'Union. Nous continuerons
� r�aliser nos r�formes dont certaines ont commenc� � porter leurs fruits",
a d�clar� M. Erkki Liikanen, membre de la Commission responsable du budget
et de l'administration.
[02] Commission clears acquisition of control of BHF by ING
The European Commission has concluded that the concentration by which ING
Groep N.V. (ING) acquires control of BHF-Bank Aktiengesellschaft (BHF) does
not create or strengthen a dominant position. For that reason, the
Commission has decided not to oppose the operation.
[03] Commission and NGOs hold dialogue on the Millennium Round
European Commission and Member States' trade officials held talks today
with 70 industry, consumer, labour, environmental and development
organisations on the work programme for the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Millennium Round. This is the first of an ongoing dialogue between
Commission officials and non governmental organisations (NGOs) and is part
of the European Union's commitment to transparency and openness in trade
policy-making. During the meeting, the Commission highlighted the benefits
of further trade liberalisation and called for support for a Millennium
Round as the best way to boost economic growth and create jobs. Priorities
were discussed for taking forward the European agenda on sustainable
development and the integration of developing countries into the
multilateral trading system. The Commission stressed that new global trade
negotiations in 2000 will take on board consumer, labour and environmental
concerns and will be in the interests of all.
[04] "Moderniser les services publics de l'emploi pour soutenir la
strat�gie europ�enne de l'emploi"
Comme elle l'avait annonc� dans ses propositions de Lignes directrices pour
l'emploi en 1999, la Commission europ�enne vient d'adopter une
Communication sur le r�le des Services publics de l'emploi (SPE) dans la
strat�gie europ�enne de l'emploi. Cette communication met surtout l'accent
sur la n�cessit� d'une modernisation des SPE qui remplissent habituellement
une triple fonction : fournir de l'information sur l'offre et la demande
existant sur le march� du travail, offrir un service de courtage entre les
demandeurs d'emploi et les employeurs, et proposer des mesures d'ajustement
pour combler le foss� entre les travailleurs et les employeurs. Avec plus
de 5.000 agences locales de l'emploi dans l'Union europ�enne et environ
160.000 collaborateurs, les SPE repr�sentent un �l�ment institutionnel
fondamental de la strat�gie europ�enne de l'emploi. Leur r�le dans la mise
en �uvre des strat�gies propos�es est confirm� dans les Plans d'action
nationaux pour l'emploi soumis cette ann�e par les Etats membres.
[05] European Urban and Regional Awards Ceremony - 18 November 1998
Prizes for best Urban and Regional Planning practice will be presented at a
formal ceremony in Brussels tomorrow. At this event, jointly organised by
the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions, Monika Wulf-
Mathies, Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy and Cohesion, will
present awards to twelve winners of the Commission sponsored contest
designed to raise the standard of urban and regional planning in the
European Union (EU). The event will take place at the Espace Leopold
during the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions, at 19h00. An
exhibition of the winning projects will be on view at the Espace Leopold.
Commissioner Wulf-Mathies said : "The Commission has, over the years, taken
a particular interest in supporting good practice by the planning
profession. Planners operate at various levels, from local, community based
projects up to regional and strategic planning. Although Europe is
enormously diverse, these awards clearly demonstrate that there is also
great potential for common solutions and transferable ideas, plans and
methods of implementation. The challenge for the EU, just as for the
European planning profession, is to ensure that good practice is widely
disseminated to urban and regional decision makers and professionals."
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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