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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-03-04
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
04/03/99
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] R�sultats de la Commission du 3 mars 1999 - Outcome of Commission
meeting of 3 March
[01] La Commission enjoint le gouvernement allemand de lui fournir des
informations sur le transfert de WfA � WestLB
[02] Commission enjoins Germany to provide information on aid to UCB Chemie
GmbH and Linde AG
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[03] Sir Leon Brittan : "The US is fanning the flames"
[04] La Commission autorise Mondi Minorco Paper � acqu�rir la branche
"emballages en carton ondul�" d'AFP (Europe) Limited
[05] Commission approves the acquisition of joint control of Sval�f Weibull
AB by BASF and Svenska Lantm�nnen Riksf�rbund Ek F�r
[06] La Commission autorise Lafarge SA et Titan Cement Company SA
d'acqu�rir le contr�le conjoint de Beni Suef Cement Co
[07] Business and Consumer surveys for February 1999 : optimism among
consumers is not shared by industrialists in Europe
[08] Le ch�mage en baisse en janvier 1999
[09] Joint declaration on EU-China energy cooperation
[I] R�sultats de la Commission du 3 mars 1999 - Outcome of Commission
meeting of 3 March
(voir aussi - see also Midday Express of 3/3)
[01] La Commission enjoint le gouvernement allemand de lui fournir des
informations sur le transfert de WfA � WestLB
Dans le cadre de la proc�dure d'aide en cours contre Westdeutsche
Landesbank (WestLB), la Commission europ�enne a enjoint le gouvernement
allemand de lui communiquer une s�rie de documents et d'informations
concernant le transfert de la Wohnungsbauf�rderungsanstalt (WfA) du Land de
Rh�nanie-du-Nord-Westphalie � WestLB en 1991. Au d�but de l'ann�e, les
autorit�s allemandes avaient d�j� refus� de fournir ces informations,
faisant valoir que celles-ci rev�taient peu d'importance pour la proc�dure.
La Commission est d'un avis contraire et a, par cons�quent, pris la
d�cision d'ordonner aux autorit�s allemandes de transmettre ces documents.
[02] Commission enjoins Germany to provide information on aid to UCB Chemie
GmbH and Linde AG
The European Commission has enjoined Germany to provide all necessary
information to assess State aid to the amines producer UCB Chemie GmbH,
German subsidiary of the Belgium pharmaceutical and chemical group Union
Chimique Belge, and to Linde AG, a carbon monoxide producer. The aid
awarded by Treuhandanstalt (THA) and Bundesanstalt f�r vereinigungs-
bedingte Sonderaufgaben (BvS) totals 4.6 million euro (DEM 9 million). The
Commission seriously doubts that the financial assistance to Linde AG's
carbon monoxide production can be exempted under any existing State aid
provision. The Commission also believes that the price which UCB paid for
carbon monoxide was below market price. The German government has one
month to provide the requested information.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[03] Sir Leon Brittan : "The US is fanning the flames"
The United States (US) has decided to defy the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) system by introducing a form of sanctions which has no WTO
authorisation whatsoever. The US action is a measure designed to have an
immediate effect on European exports. The arbitrators yesterday made it
clear that they were in no way authorising such action, by stating
expressely that they were not ready for the moment to take a decision on
the American request. What the US has done is therefore both unacceptable
and unlawful. Just at the time when we should both be working towards a
settlement, the US is fanning the flames of this dispute. We are
immediately demanding urgent consultations with the US in the WTO, and will
discuss our further response with the Member States.
[04] La Commission autorise Mondi Minorco Paper � acqu�rir la branche
"emballages en carton ondul�" d'AFP (Europe) Limited
La Commission europ�enne a autoris� une op�ration permettant � Mondi
Minorco Paper SA (MMP) (Luxembourg), contr�l�e par Anglo American
Corporation of South Africa Limited, de racheter � AFP (Europe) Limited
(Royaume-Uni), (AFP Corrugated) contr�l�e par Amcor Limited (Australie), la
branche de production de carton ondul� et de caisses en carton ondul�. MMP
va acqu�rir la totalit� du capital social d'Amcor Packaging (Royaume-Uni)
Limited, d'Amcor Emballages SA (France) et de Wallbray Limited (Royaume-
Uni), ainsi qu'une participation de 49% dans Willander Holdings Limited
(Royaume-Uni), les 51% restants �tant d�tenus par Wallbray Limited.
[05] Commission approves the acquisition of joint control of Sval�f Weibull
AB by BASF and Svenska Lantm�nnen Riksf�rbund Ek F�r
The European Commission has approved the acquisition of joint control of
Sval�f Weibull AB (SW), Sweden, by BASF AG (BASF), Germany, and Svenska
Lantm�nnen riksf�rbund ek f�r (SLR), Sweden. The proposed operation
concerns all activities in breeding and distribution of seeds and
cultivation of plants for private gardens and public areas. The Commission
found that the proposed operation would not lead to the creation or
strengthening of a dominant position.
[06] La Commission autorise Lafarge SA et Titan Cement Company SA
d'acqu�rir le contr�le conjoint de Beni Suef Cement Co
La Commission europ�enne autorise Lafarge SA et Titan Cement Company SA
d'acqu�rir le contr�le commun de Beni Suef Cement Co. Lafarge en France,
Titan en Gr�ce et Beni Suef en Egypte sont tous des producteurs de
mat�riaux de construction et, en particulier, de ciment et de b�ton pr�t �
l'emploi. La concentration ne sera active que sur le march� du ciment en
Egypte et par cons�quent n'aura d'impact direct sur aucun march� de l'Union
europ�enne ni de l'Espace �conomique europ�en.
[07] Business and Consumer surveys for February 1999 : optimism among
consumers is not shared by industrialists 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. Consumer confidence remains buoyant in the
European Union (EU), according to the February survey results. The
consumer confidence indicator rose for the EU as a whole, whereas it
remained unchanged in the euro-zone. The strong confidence among consumers
was largely due to the positive attitude towards making major purchases at
present. On the other hand, managers in industry were less optimistic in
February. The industrial confidence indicator fell in both the EU and the
euro-zone. This can to a large extent be attributed to the worsened
assessments regarding the level of order-books. With the outlook in
industry still subdued, the economic sentiment indicator fell in February.
The decline was more pronounced in the euro-zone than for the EU as a
whole.
[08] Le ch�mage en baisse en janvier 1999
(! embargo 12h !) Le taux de ch�mage de la zone euro, corrig� des
variations saisonni�res, �tait de 10,6% en janvier, en baisse par rapport �
d�cembre 1998 (10,7%), selon les donn�es publi�es aujourd'hui par Eurostat,
l'Office statistique des Communaut�s europ�ennes � Luxembourg. En janvier
1998, le taux �tait de 11,3%. Le taux de ch�mage de l'Union europ�enne
(UE) �tait de 9,6% en janvier, contre 9,7% en d�cembre1998. Il s'�levait �
10,3% en janvier 1998. Les taux les plus bas ont �t� observ�s au
Luxembourg (2,8%) et aux Pays-Bas (3,6% en d�cembre 1998), suivis du
Portugal (4,3%), de l'Autriche (4,4%) et du Danemark (4,6% en
d�cembre1998). Le taux de ch�mage de l'Espagne (17,8%) �tait toujours et
de loin le plus �lev� de l'UE. Au cours des douze derniers mois,
d'importantes baisses ont �t� observ�es en Espagne (de 19,7 � 17,8%) et au
Portugal (de 5,9 � 4,3%). Le taux de ch�mage des moins de 25 ans a vari�
de 6,0% aux Pays-Bas (en d�cembre 1998) � 33,3%, en Italie (en octobre
1998) et en Espagne. Pour la zone euro, le taux est de 20,7% et de 19,1%
pour l'ensemble de l'UE. Pour la m�me p�riode un an plus t�t, il �tait de
respectivement 22,1% et de 20,2%.
[09] Joint declaration on EU-China energy cooperation
European Commissioner Christos Papoutsis, responsible for Energy, and Prof.
Guanhua Xu, Vice Minister of Science and Technology of China, have signed
today in Brussels a Joint Declaration giving their full political
endorsement to the strengthening of energy cooperation between the European
Union (EU) and China at institutional, policy, scientific, technological,
commercial and industrial level. The cooperation will be strengthened
through : maintaining a permanent and effective dialogue on energy issues
of mutual importance ; creating the conditions for facilitating an
increased presence of EU energy companies in China, and viceversa,
including policy, legal, regulatory and fiscal aspects ; continuing jointly
supporting exchanges between the two sides, training courses, workshops,
seminars and studies ; taking full advantage of the new opportunities
offered by the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation
between the EU and China signed in December 1994.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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