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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-02-17
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
17/02/99
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] R�sultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] Duty-free sales and employment - Commission suggests appropriate
measures
[02] Promotion d'emplois : la Commission propose une Directive permettant
un taux de TVA r�duit sur certains services
[03] La Commission encourage la participation des femmes aux programmes de
recherche
[04] Commission enjoins Germany to provide information on Leuna 2000
investment (Thuringia, Germany)
[05] La Commission v�rifie les recapitalisations de la soci�t� TASQ SA
effectu�es par le Cr�dit Lyonnais et le CDR (France)
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[06] EU requests WTO panel against US section 301 legislation
[07] Commission approves take-over of Danzas by Deutsche Post
[I] R�sultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] Duty-free sales and employment - Commission suggests appropriate
measures
The European Commission has responded to the Vienna European Council's
request to examine how the abolition of intra-European Union (EU) duty-free
sales on 1 July 1999 would impact on employment and how to minimise
potential employment problems, including the possibility of a limited
extension. On the basis of its analysis, the Commission considers that the
abolition of intra-EU duty-free will not have a significant negative impact
on employment overall, but that an extension of intra-EU duty free would
create uncertainty and disadvantage normal retailers and other means of
transport. As with the phasing out of any subsidy which distorts
competition, any short-term negative effects on employment are expected to
be more than offset by long-term job creation effects, especially if the
national tax revenue currently lost as a result of the existence of intra-
EU duty-free were used to reduce the tax burden on labour. However, given
the top priority the Commission attaches to job creation, it urges Member
States to counteract possible short-term regional or social difficulties
which may arise with the appropriate Structural Fund instruments. There is
also room for developing an additional specially-tailored EU financial
measure to tackle any specific and local problems directly linked to the
abolition of intra-EU duty-free sales were the EU's Council of Ministers to
request it. Any extension of the transitional period of intra-EU duty-free
sales would not resolve the short-term negative effects on employment, but
would only delay the necessary adjustment and also damage operators which
have already started to adapt.
[02] Promotion d'emplois : la Commission propose une Directive permettant
un taux de TVA r�duit sur certains services
La Commission europ�enne a pr�sent� une proposition de Directive permettant
aux Etats membres qui le souhaitent d'appliquer � titre exp�rimental un
taux de TVA r�duit sur certains services � haute intensit� de main-d'�uvre
(par exemple services de r�paration de biens meubles corporels, de
r�novation de b�timents, d'aide � domicile,�). Cette mesure vise �
stimuler le fort potentiel d'emplois des entreprises offrant des services
de proximit� par l'all�gement de la TVA. En outre, elle pourrait aider �
r�int�grer dans le circuit officiel une partie des activit�s tomb�es dans
l'�conomie souterraine. Cette initiative s'inscrit dans la "strat�gie de
Vienne pour l'Europe" qui d�finit la cr�ation d'emplois comme la premi�re
priorit� de l'Union europ�enne.
[03] La Commission encourage la participation des femmes aux programmes de
recherche
Promouvoir l'�galit� des chances au niveau de la recherche et stimuler la
recherche pour et sur les femmes dans le cadre des activit�s de recherche
de l'Union europ�enne (UE) : tels sont les objectifs de la Communication
"Femmes et Sciences", adopt�e aujourd'hui par la Commission europ�enne. La
Commission engagera un vaste d�bat en ce sens avec les Etats membres et
fixera notamment un seuil plancher de 40% pour ce qui est de la
participation des femmes dans les bourses de recherche Marie Curie, dans
les assembl�es consultatives, ainsi que dans les panels d'�valuation du
5�me programme-cadre de recherche (PCRD), lanc� au d�but 1999.
[04] Commission enjoins Germany to provide information on Leuna 2000
investment (Thuringia, Germany)
The European Commission has enjoined Germany to provide information
necessary to assess State aid for the construction of the Leuna 2000
refinery. The Commission has approved aid for the turnkey plant contract
which Elf Acquitaine awarded to a consortium, Thyssen Lurgi Technip (TLT).
Following allegations that the aid was excessive because the actual cost of
the project was substantially lower than notified, the Commission opened an
inquiry in 1997. However, the Commission is to this day lacking important
cost data. It is therefore requesting Germany to submit information,
notably vendor bids received by TLT at the time the contract was prepared
and used by TLT in formulating the contract price. The Commission is also
requesting samples of actual prices paid to subcontractors by TLT for
specified work done and confirmed by invoice payments, as well as detailed
cost statistics of TLT. The German government has one month to provide the
requested information.
[05] La Commission v�rifie les recapitalisations de la soci�t� TASQ SA
effectu�es par le Cr�dit Lyonnais et le CDR (France)
La Commission europ�enne a approuv� l'ouverture d'une proc�dure au titre
des aides d'Etat en faveur de l'entreprise TASQ SA, sp�cialis�e dans le
domaine de la maintenance informatique. Cette proc�dure porte sur les
recapitalisations d'un montant de 26,922 millions d'euros (176,6 millions
de FF) de l'entreprise entre 1988 et 1991 par le Cr�dit Lyonnais et entre
1995 et 1997 par le CDR (Consortium de R�alisations), soci�t� publique de
d�faisance du Cr�dit Lyonnais, qui �tait jusqu'en septembre 1998
l'actionnaire de TASQ SA. Ces recapitalisations sont susceptibles de
contenir des �l�ments d'aides d'Etat et doivent �tre notifi�es � la
Commission. Celle-ci a pris connaissance de ces op�rations, qui ne lui
avaient pas �t� notifi�es, � la suite d'une plainte d�pos�e par un
concurrent. A ce stade, la Commission n'�tant pas en mesure de conclure,
des renseignements suppl�mentaires doivent lui �tre soumis afin de lui
permettre d'effectuer les v�rifications n�cessaires.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[06] EU requests WTO panel against US section 301 legislation
Today, at a meeting of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Dispute
Settlement Body (DSB) in Geneva, the European Union (EU) requested the
establishment of a WTO panel against the Section 301 procedure of the 1974
US Trade Act. This legislation has been the domestic legal basis for most
of the US sanctions and threats of sanctions. Most recently, Section 301
has provided the impetus behind the unilateral US threat of sanctions
against the EU over its new banana regime, even though there is no WTO
ruling against this regime. The EU considers that the Section 301
legislation violates key WTO provisions, in particular the prohibition of
unilateral action in Article 23 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding
(DSU). If the US rejects today's EU request, the EU's request will be
accepted automatically at the next DSB.
[07] Commission approves take-over of Danzas by Deutsche Post
The European Commission has cleared the operation by which Deutsche Post
has notified its public take over bid of Danzas, a Swiss based
international transport company. The operation is of a complementary
nature and may lead to an insignificant addition of market shares only in a
few markets. The Commission has therefore decided to declare the operation
compatible with the Common Market and the European Economic Area Agreement.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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