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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-06-09
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-Parole 09/06/1999b
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] R�sultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] La Commission propose des plafonds d'�mission nationaux de certains
polluants atmosph�riques et des objectifs de qualit� de l'air ambiant pour
l'ozone
[02] Commission approves financial framework for year 2000
[03] Commission authorizes aid for Wismarer Propeller- und Maschinenfabrik
GmbH
[04] Aid to pig producers in Northern Ireland
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[05] Commission clears acquisition of control of Transamerica Corporation
by Aegon N.V.
[06] La Commission adopte une Communication sur le march� unique et
l'environnement
[07] First Donors Pledging Conference on Kosovo announced
[08] Health Council adopts recommendation to limit exposure to
electromagnetic fields
[I] R�sultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] La Commission propose des plafonds d'�mission nationaux de certains
polluants atmosph�riques et des objectifs de qualit� de l'air ambiant pour
l'ozone
La Commission europ�enne a adopt� une proposition de Directive pour des
plafonds d'�mission nationaux de certains polluants atmosph�riques et une
proposition de Directive relative � l'ozone dans l'air ambiant. La
Directive sur les plafonds d'�mission nationaux fixera pour la premi�re
fois des limites individuelles aux �missions totales de chaque Etat membre
en 2010 des quatre polluants responsables de l'acidification, de
l'eutrophication et de la formation d'ozone dans la basse atmosph�re : le
dioxyde de soufre, les oxydes d'azote, les compos�s organiques volatils
(COV) et l'ammoniac. Lors de l'application de la Directive sur les plafonds
d'�mission, les Etats membres devront d�terminer quelles sont les mesures
qui sont adapt�es � leur situation particuli�re et les mettre en �uvre en
cons�quence. La proposition sur la qualit� de l'air pour l'ozone dans l'air
ambiant est la troisi�me proposition de Directive fille en vertu de la
"Directive cadre sur la qualit� de l'air" adopt�e en septembre 1996. La
Directive propos�e instaurera des valeurs cibles ambitieuses pour l'ozone
en vue de la protection de la sant� humaine, ainsi que des exigences en
mati�re de surveillance des concentrations d'ozone dans l'air ambiant et
d'information du public sur les r�sultats de cette surveillance. L'analyse
co�t-b�n�fice des propositions montre que les b�n�fices en termes
mon�taires se situent entre 17 et 32 milliards d'euros par an, tandis que
les co�ts sont estim�s � 7,5 milliards d'euros par an. Certains b�n�fices
importants, notamment au niveau des �cosyst�mes, n'ont pas pu �tre �valu�s
en termes mon�taires et l'analyse sous-estime par cons�quent le total des
b�n�fices des propositions.
[02] Commission approves financial framework for year 2000
The European Commission has approved the financial perspective framework
applicable to the 2000 budgetary procedure. The framework is based on the
results of the Berlin European Council, takes into account the agreement
between the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the
Commission and is adjusted technically, i.e. expressed in 2000 prices. The
overall ceiling for commitments in 2000 comes to 93.8 billion, which
corresponds to 1.16% of the 15 Member States' total GNP. Payments total
91.3 billion, i.e. 1.13% of GNP. It is part of the yearly budgetary
procedure for the Commission to make technical adjustments to the financial
perspective in line with movements in GNP and prices. This is the first
such exercise concerning the financial perspective for the years 2000-2006.
The financial perspective is part of the Inter-Institutional Agreement
between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission. The Commission will
now transmit the adjusted financial perspective 2000-2006 to the budgetary
authority, i.e. to the Council and the Parliament.
[03] Commission authorizes aid for Wismarer Propeller- und Maschinenfabrik
GmbH
The European Commission has authorized the aid granted for the rescue, re-
privatisation and restructuring of the metalworking company Wismarer
Propeller und Maschinenfabrik GmbH (WPM) in Wismar, Germany, which is
specialised in the production of shafts and propellers for ships. WPM was
first privatised in 1992 together with Dieselmotorenwerk Rostock GmbH (DMR)
by Treuhandanstalt. It belonged until recently to DMR, whose shares had
been taken over after the collapse of Bremer Vulkan Verbund AG by
Bundesanstalt f�r vereinigungsbedingte Sonderaufgaben (BvS) and the Land
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. After an intensive search for a suitable bidder,
WPM was sold in September 1998 to Schottel-Antriebstechnik GmbH and
Schottel-Werft Josef Becker GmbH&Co., a group specialised on ship
propulsion systems. The Commission has concluded that the scheme is
compatible with European Union's regulations.
[04] Aid to pig producers in Northern Ireland
The European Commission approved the aid granted by the United Kingdom to
pig producers in Northern Ireland under the Pig Welfare Slaughter
Compensation Scheme. Following a fire at a major pig-processing facility in
Northern Ireland in June 1998, a serious backlog of pigs developed on
certain farms, giving rise to severe economic difficulties for the
producers and animal welfare problems. This aid scheme provides for payment
of the slaughter and rendering costs of 15,571 overweight pigs
(approximately �15 per head) and for a compensation payment to farmers of
�30 per head.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[05] Commission clears acquisition of control of Transamerica Corporation
by Aegon N.V.
The European Commission has agreed the concentration by which the Dutch
insurance company Aegon N.V. acquires control of the whole of American
financial organisation also dealing with insurances, Transamerica
Corporation. The proposed concentration does not create or strenghten a
dominant position.
[06] La Commission adopte une Communication sur le march� unique et
l'environnement
La Commission europ�enne vient d'adopter une Communication au Conseil des
Ministres et au Parlement europ�en sur "le March� Unique et l'Environnement".
Le principal m�rite de la Communication est de montrer que l'Union
europ�enne doit et peut consolider et d�velopper davantage de synergies
entre deux exigences l�gitimes des citoyens europ�ens � savoir le bon
fonctionnement du march� unique et une protection ad�quate de
l'environnement. La Communication pr�voit diff�rentes orientations
permettant d'aller plus loin pour combiner le d�veloppement du march�
int�rieur avec l'int�gration des objectifs environnementaux pr�vue par le
Trait� d'Amsterdam de sorte que les deux politiques se soutiennent et se
renforcent mutuellement davantage, tout en d�veloppant en m�me temps des
synergies positives entre elles.
[07] First Donors Pledging Conference on Kosovo announced
At the conclusion of the G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting on Peace in Kosovo
yesterday in Cologne, European Commissioner Hans van den Broek announced
that a first Donors Pledging Conference for the Reconstruction of Kosovo
will be held within the shortest time delay possible. The Conference, to be
organised jointly by the Commission and the World Bank, will be convened
shortly after adoption by the UN Security Council of a peace implementation
resolution on Kosovo. The purpose of this Conference will be to receive
pledges from the international community to meet the most immediate
reconstruction needs, to facilitate the return of refugees and displaced
persons to their homes in Kosovo. As soon as a more detailed assessment has
been made concerning the overall needs related to the reconstruction of
Kosovo, a second Donors Pledging Conference will be convened.
[08] Health Council adopts recommendation to limit exposure to
electromagnetic fields
At its meeting in Luxembourg yesterday, the Health Council adopted (subject
to Parliamentary scrutiny in the United Kingdom) a European Commission
recommendation setting out basic restrictions and reference values for
public exposure to electromagnetic fields. The recommendation, based on the
latest research, draws on work done by the International Commission on Non-
Ionising Radiation Protection and is in part a response to the risk from
increasingly widespread use of appliances which have electromagnetic
fields. Reiterating the European Union's commitment to high health
standards, Padraig Flynn, Commissioner for health matters, pointed to the
need for protective measures to keep up with new findings and to raise
public awareness of potential dangers. To implement the recommendation,
each Member State will devise rules which may in some cases provide even
higher levels of protection than those indicated by the Council.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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