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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-12-02
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 02/12/1999b
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] R�sultats de la Commission du 1er d�cembre 1999 - Outcome of Commission
meeting of 1st December
[01] La Commission approuve l'acquisition de Sphinx par Sanitec, sous
r�serve de cessions substantielles dans le secteur des �quipements pour
salles de bains
[02] To guard against fraud, Commission may withdraw Customs Code proposal
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[03] Commission's ban of some PVC toys endorsed by Emergencies Committee
[04] La Commission autorise la cr�ation d'une entreprise commune entre ACEA
et Telef�nica
[05] Commission authorises joint venture of Sydkraft and Hamburgische
Electricit�ts-Werke
[06] La Commission autorise Morgan Grenfell Development Capital
Syndications Ltd � acqu�rir Piaggio & C.S.p.A.
[07] Commission clears joint venture between BHS/Debitel and Fleggaard
Holding/Fleggaard Partner
[08] La Commission autorise Toyota Motor Corporation � acqu�rir le contr�le
exclusif de son distributeur fran�ais Toyota France S.A.
[09] Business satisfaction with Internal Market grows but scoreboard shows
Member States still slow to implement
[10] La Commission adopte une Communication sur le "commerce �quitable"
[11] Pascal Lamy welcomes President Clinton's announcement on US joining EU
initiative in favour of developing countries
[12] 31 projets associant culture, �ducation/formation et nouvelles
technologies s�lectionn�s dans le cadre de Connect
[13] Citoyens et hommes politiques se rencontrent au sommet des ONG �
Tampere
[14] Anna Diamantopoulou sees in first Health and Safety Directive under
Amsterdam rules
[15] Anna Diamantopoulou : "Violence against disabled is a silent reality"
[I] R�sultats de la Commission du 1er d�cembre 1999 - Outcome of Commission
meeting of 1st December
(voir aussi see also Midday Express of 01/12)
[01] La Commission approuve l'acquisition de Sphinx par Sanitec, sous
r�serve de cessions substantielles dans le secteur des �quipements pour
salles de bains
La Commission europ�enne a d�cid� d'approuver l'acquisition du fabricant
n�erlandais d'�quipements pour salles de bains N.V. Koninklijke Sphinx
Gustavsberg (Sphinx) par la soci�t� finlandaise Sanitec Ltd Oyj Abp
(Sanitec). Cette approbation fait suite � une enqu�te approfondie sur
l'op�ration en cause, la Commission s'�tant d�clar�e pr�occup�e par les
parts de march� cumul�es importantes qu'auraient poss�d�es les deux
soci�t�s en ce qui concerne un certain nombre d'appareils sanitaires en
c�ramique, de baignoires et d'�crans de douche notamment dans les pays
nordiques. En r�ponse aux pr�occupations soulev�es par la Commission sur le
plan de la concurrence, Sanitec a propos� un ensemble global de mesures
portant sur la cession de toutes les activit�s de Gustavsberg.
[02] To guard against fraud, Commission may withdraw Customs Code proposal
The European Commission decided to mandate Frits Bolkestein, the
Commissioner responsible for the EU's Customs Union, to withdraw a proposal
to amend the Community Customs Code should the text on which the 7 December
1999 Internal Market Council is due to reach a political agreement on a
Common Position not include sufficient safeguards against fraud. The
Commission considers that the compromise text currently before the Council
of Ministers would facilitate fraud. In particular, the Commission
considers that the compromise text would not include sufficient safeguards
against goods being imported with false country of origin certificates,
thereby making it easier for importers to fraudulently claim goods qualify
for lower import tariffs (such as those granted to developing countries).
The risk would therefore be that the proceeds of the Common External Tariff,
which accrue to the EU budget, would suffer, to the detriment of the
financial interests of the EU.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[03] Commission's ban of some PVC toys endorsed by Emergencies Committee
EU Member States representatives on the Emergencies Committee of the
General Product Safety Directive today unanimously endorsed the European
Commission's draft decision on a ban of certain PVC toys. The Commission
will now formally adopt the decision within a few days. The decision will
enter into force ten days after its adoption. With this decision the
Commission wants to ensure the public that all babies in the European Union
are immediately protected against the risks posed by these products,
pending the adoption of a permanent measure (the Commission approved a
draft Directive on 10 November 1999). It is the first time that the
Commission has instigated an immediate ban under the General Product Safety
Directive.
[04] La Commission autorise la cr�ation d'une entreprise commune entre ACEA
et Telef�nica
La Commission europ�enne a autoris� la cr�ation d'une entreprise commune
entre la soci�t� italienne Acea S.p.A. et l'entreprise espagnole Telef�nica
Intercontinental SA, qui appartient au groupe Telef�nica. L'objet de la
nouvelle entreprise commune sera de fournir des services de t�l�communications
dans la r�gion de Rome, en Italie, et sur des march�s caract�ris�s par la
pr�sence de concurrents puissants. A court terme, sa part de march� sera
n�gligeable. L'op�ration n'entra�nera donc pas la cr�ation ni le
renforcement d'une position dominante.
[05] Commission authorises joint venture of Sydkraft and Hamburgische
Electricit�ts-Werke
The European Commission has approved, under the Merger Regulation, a
proposed 50:50 joint venture in the electricity sector of the Swedish
company Sydkraft AB and the German company Hamburgische Electricit�ts-Werke
AG. The joint venture will engage in energy trading in the Benelux, under
the company name Hansa Energy Trading GmbH, through dealings at the
Amsterdam Power Exchange. The joint venture will be a new market entrant on
the Dutch market for physical electricity trading. Therefore, the creation
or the strengthening of a dominant position by means of the present
operation can be excluded.
[06] La Commission autorise Morgan Grenfell Development Capital
Syndications Ltd � acqu�rir Piaggio & C.S.p.A.
La Commission europ�enne a autoris� Morgan Grenfell Development Capital
Syndications Ltd. (MGDCS), une soci�t� d'investissement britannique
contr�l�e par Deutsche Bank AG, � acqu�rir la soci�t� italienne Piaggio &
C.S.p.A (Piaggio), constructeur de v�hicules � moteur � deux, trois ou
quatre roues. Piaggio fabrique des cyclomoteurs et des scooters, un secteur
o� elle est en concurrence avec Yamaha, Honda, Aprilia et d'autres
soci�t�s. Elle produit �galement des v�hicules utilitaires l�gers � trois
et quatre roues, o� elle se trouve confront�e � la concurrence de Renault,
de Volkswagen et d'autres constructeurs. L'op�ration ne soul�ve pas de
probl�mes sous l'angle de la concurrence, car ni MGDCS ni aucune des
entreprises qu'elle contr�le ne sont pr�sentes dans les secteurs o� Piaggio
exerce son activit�.
[07] Commission clears joint venture between BHS/Debitel and Fleggaard
Holding/Fleggaard Partner
The European Commission has cleared the proposed joint venture between the
German companies BHS Holding GmbH & CoKG/debitel AG and the Danish
companies Fleggaard Holding AS/Fleggaard Partner AS. The parent companies
intend to transfer to the joint venture their respective wholesale business
concerning mobile telecommunication devices, in particular mobile phones,
and related value added services by way of transferring to the joint
venture all shares of Dangaard Holding AS (owned by Fleggaard Holding and
Fleggaard Partner) and all business shares of FreeCom GmbH (a joint venture
company of BHS and debitel). The investigation carried out has shown that
the joint venture will not create a risk for competition, under the terms
of the Merger Regulation, for any of these sectors.
[08] La Commission autorise Toyota Motor Corporation � acqu�rir le contr�le
exclusif de son distributeur fran�ais Toyota France S.A.
La Commission europ�enne a autoris� Toyota Motor Corporation � prendre le
contr�le exclusif de Toyota France S.A., son distributeur grossiste en
France, par le biais de l'acquisition de la totalit� de son capital. Aucun
march� ne sera affect� horizontalement ni verticalement, au sens du
r�glement sur les concentrations, par cette op�ration, qui ne produira
aucun effet de verrouillage sur le march� automobile fran�ais.
[09] Business satisfaction with Internal Market grows but scoreboard shows
Member States still slow to implement
European businesses note a significant reduction in obstacles to cross-
border trade and improved management and efficiency of the Internal Market,
according to a survey for the latest issue of the European Commission's
Single Market Scoreboard. The latest Scoreboard also shows that although
most Member States now work faster to implement Internal Market legislation
into national law, they are still too slow. All but Greece, Luxembourg,
France, Portugal and Ireland have an implementation deficit below four per
cent compared with only two Member States in November 1997 when the
Scoreboard was first introduced, with Italy having made particular progress
in the last six months. But disputes concerning alleged breaches of
Internal Market rules still to take too long to resolve and stop citizens
and businesses from enjoying the full benefits of the Internal Market.
[10] La Commission adopte une Communication sur le "commerce �quitable"
La Commission europ�enne a adopt� une Communication sur le commerce
�quitable. La notion de commerce �quitable intervient dans de nombreux
domaines d'activit� de la Commission, de la politique de d�veloppement au
commerce en g�n�ral, en passant par l'environnement, les droits des
salari�s, le choix du consommateur et les garanties en mati�re
d'�tiquetage. Ce document constitue l'amorce d'un processus de d�finition
d'une nouvelle politique de la Commission. Il est destin� � encourager,
entre toute les parties int�ress�es, un d�bat de nature � �clairer la
Commission dans la d�finition d'une politique de l'Union europ�enne
appropri�e et judicieuse pour le si�cle prochain. Il fait le point sur ce
que l'on entend par commerce �quitable et sur son fonctionnement et d�crit
les actions men�es actuellement par la Commission dans ce domaine. Bien
qu'aucune proposition ne soit formul�e � ce stade, la Communication donne
des indications sur les questions qu'il conviendra de prendre en
consid�ration dans l'examen des futures mesures de soutien de l'UE aux
activit�s relevant du commerce �quitable. Il s'agit d'un document qui vient
� point nomm�, � la veille du cycle de n�gociations commerciales du
mill�naire, dont l'UE esp�re qu'il couvrira les questions sociales et
environnementales.
[11] Pascal Lamy welcomes President Clinton's announcement on US joining EU
initiative in favour of developing countries
Welcoming President Clinton's announcement that the United States would
support the European Union's initiative in favour of developing countries
in the context of the New Round of multilateral trade negotiations,
European Commissioner for Trade, Pascal Lamy, said : "with President
Clinton's commitment, we now have the confirmed support of our two
principal trading partners, the US and Japan. I am now confident that
developing countries will be left in no doubt as to the seriousness of our
commitment to place their concerns at the core of a New Round".
[12] 31 projets associant culture, �ducation/formation et nouvelles
technologies s�lectionn�s dans le cadre de Connect
La Commission europ�enne a s�lectionn� 31 projets sur les 243 soumis dans
le cadre de l'appel � proposition (JO C163 du 10 juin 1999) au titre de la
nouvelle action Connect. Cette action finance des projets associant la
culture et les domaines de l'�ducation et de la formation notamment en
liaison avec la recherche et les nouvelles technologies. Ces projets
recevront un soutien communautaire d'un total de 7,038 millions d'euros.
[13] Citoyens et hommes politiques se rencontrent au sommet des ONG �
Tampere
Le sommet des ONG "Agenda 2000 des citoyens" se tiendra � Tampere
(Finlande) du 3 au 5 d�cembre, soit juste une semaine avant le sommet du
mill�naire de Helsinki. Le Forum souhaite la bienvenue aux organisations
non gouvernementales (ONG) europ�ennes, aux hommes politiques et aux
repr�sentants des diff�rentes institutions europ�ennes au d�bat sur
l'avenir de l'Europe. Les ONG s'adresseront au sommet afin de faire
entendre le message des citoyens.
[14] Anna Diamantopoulou sees in first Health and Safety Directive under
Amsterdam rules
In the presence of Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner for
Employment and Social Affairs, the European Parliament has confirmed the
full agreement of the European Parliament and Council of Ministers on rules
of the protection of workers at risk from explosive atmospheres. The
successful result of this conciliation procedure is particularly noteworthy
as it is the first legal act in the health and safety area to be adopted
under the codecision procedure as a result of entry into force of the
Amsterdam Treaty.
[15] Anna Diamantopoulou : "Violence against disabled is a silent reality"
European Commissioner for Social Affairs, Anna Diamantopoulou, speaks out
on European Day of Disabled People : "Violence confirms to us in the most
forcible way the exclusion and discrimination which people with
disabilities continue to suffer. A major change is needed. I believe this
must involve a broad approach : law, best practice, and changes in the
perception of people with disabilities". The Commission will be supporting
the European Day of Disabled People on 3 December 1999. This day brings
together disabled and non-disabled people in a major effort to promote the
rights of disabled people across Europe. It is organised in cooperation
with the European Disability Forum which represents 37 million disabled
people in the EU. This year the day focuses on "Violence and disabled
people", a phenomenon which is not uncommon in our society. Research
consistently proves that people with disabilities are at greater risk of
being abused or suffering violence than the non-disabled population. A
conference on the theme "Disabled people and violence : root causes and
prevention" will take place in Brussels at the Charlemagne building. A film
competition on the theme of violence against disabled people has also been
organised and, during an gala award evening in Brussels on 2 December, the
jury will announce the winner among the 10 films produced. Internet pages
detailing the conference are available at: http://users.skynet.be/ecosolutions/welcomepage.htm
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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