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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-02-03
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 03/02/2000b
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] R�sultats de la Commission du 2 f�vrier 2000 - Outcome of Commission
meeting of 2nd February
[01] Commission approves settlement between Elf Aquitaine and German
authorities in the Leuna case - decision regarding initial State aid still
suspended
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] La Commission approuve la cr�ation d'une entreprise commune entre
General Electric Company et Thomson-CSF dans le domaine de la formation sur
simulateur de vol
[03] Commission agrees to dissolution of BP/Mobil joint venture
[04] Commission clears insurance acquisition
[05] Economic confidence at record level in the EU in January
[06] EU launches European Car Free Day 2000
[07] Projet de coop�ration �conomique en aviation civile avec la Chine
[I] R�sultats de la Commission du 2 f�vrier 2000 - Outcome of Commission
meeting of 2nd February
(voir aussi see also ME of 2/2)
[01] Commission approves settlement between Elf Aquitaine and German
authorities in the Leuna case - decision regarding initial State aid still
suspended
While it continues its main investigation whether the French oil company
Elf received more aid than it was entitled to for the construction of the
Leuna 2000 refinery, the European Commission has decided to conditionally
approve a settlement agreement ("Vergleichsvereinbarung") concluded between
the Bundesanstalt f�r vereinigungsbedingte Sonderaufgaben (BvS), the
Regional Government of Saxony-Anhalt and the Elf. Therein, the German
authorities recognise a DM 360 million claim by Elf. The Commission found
that two thirds of this amount do not constitute aid and can be paid out
immediately. For the remaining DM 120 million, the Commission concluded
that they are State aids which is compatible with the common market. The
Commission, however, could accept the settlement as a whole only after the
German authorities' commitment that the sum of DM 120 million will be paid
to a blocked account and remain blocked until the Commission has taken a
final decision regarding the justification of the State aid Elf had
received for the construction of the Leuna refinery.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] La Commission approuve la cr�ation d'une entreprise commune entre
General Electric Company et Thomson-CSF dans le domaine de la formation sur
simulateur de vol
La Commission europ�enne a approuv� une op�ration par laquelle General
Electric Company (Etats-Unis) et Thomson-CSF (France) vont cr�er une
entreprise commune en vue de dispenser la formation sur simulateur de vol
pour l'aviation civile actuellement propos�e par CEGAT, filiale de General
Electric Company, et ORBIT, filiale de Thomson-CSF. L'op�ration de
concentration ne soul�ve pas de probl�mes de concurrence, car les parts de
march� d�tenues par les parties sont faibles et la concurrence sur le
march� est tr�s vive.
[03] Commission agrees to dissolution of BP/Mobil joint venture
The European Commission has authorised two acquisitions whereby Exxon Mobil
Corporation (USA) and BP Amoco plc (UK) each acquire certain parts of the
BP/Mobil joint venture, active on the European fuel and lubricants markets.
The acquisitions are the result of a commitment given by Exxon Corporation
and Mobil Corporation to secure Commission approval for their merger
earlier last year.
[04] Commission clears insurance acquisition
The European Commission has approved the acquisition by Winterthur of
National Insurance and Guarantee Corporation (NIG). Winterthur is a global
insurance group headquartered in Switzerland and operating in 30 countries
around the world. The Winterthur Group is part of the Swiss based global
financial services group Credit Suisse (CS Group). NIG is an insurance
company which conducts general insurance business and is also the holding
company for all the Skandia group's subsidiaries in the United Kingdom. The
main categories of insurance concerned are motor insurance, household
insurance and small commercial risks, where the new entity will be a middle
size player in the UK insurance market. NIG is strong in the extended
warranty insurance segment (related to vehicles and white and brown
domestic goods). However, no member of the CS Group writes this type of
insurance in the UK. Thus, the Commission has decided to authorise the
operation and to declare it compatible with the common market and with the
EEA agreement.
[05] Economic confidence at record level in the EU in January
(! embargo 12 am !) The economic sentiment indicator in the European Union
rose to 105.7, a new historical maximum, while a 0.4 point boost in the
Euro-area sent the indicator up to 105.7 the highest level witnessed in the
last ten years. Germany and the United Kingdom with two point increases are
the most significant contributors to the evolution of the industrial
confidence indicator that rose one point in the Euro-area and two points in
the EU as a whole. In most Member States an improvement is evident in the
construction sector; all in all, there is a six point increase in both the
Euroarea and the EU. Spain, Finland, Italy and France registered the most
significant rises while slight decreases are observed in Germany and the
UK. Consumer confidence remained steady in the euro-area in January while
there was an improvement in the EU as a whole. The present level is the
maximum value ever for the consumer confidence indicator in the EU.
[06] EU launches European Car Free Day 2000
On 4th February, at a conference in Brussels, the European Commission and
nine EU countries will launch the European Car Free Day initiative. The
following Ministers will intervene at the conference : Dominique Voynet,
French Minister for Spatial Planning and Environment, Edo Ronchi, Italian
Minister for Environment, Jos� Socrates, Portuguese Minister for
Environment, and Isabelle Durant, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Transport. Other speakers at the launch event are Mayors of
small and big European cities, including Leoluca Orlando, Mayor of Palermo
and President of the Car Free Cities network. Commissioner for Environment,
Margot Wallstr�m, Ministers and high-level representatives will sign the
"European Car Free Day" pledge committing themselves to facilitate the
organisation by local authorities of a car free day event on 22 September
2000.
[07] Projet de coop�ration �conomique en aviation civile avec la Chine
Chris Patten, Commissaire europ�en charg� des Relations ext�rieures, a
sign� une Convention de Financement d'un montant de 4,1 millions d'euros
pour un projet de coop�ration �conomique en aviation civile avec la Chine.
Le projet comprend aussi une participation du gouvernement chinois, et des
industries chinoises et europ�ennes. Ce projet constitue un programme
complet et int�gr� qui vise � am�liorer la s�curit� a�rienne en Chine. Les
activit�s qui porteront sur la navigabilit�, la gestion de la production,
le service aux clients et la maintenance, la gestion et le contr�le du
trafic a�rien, la gestion d'une compagnie a�rienne et la gestion d'une
entreprise a�ronautique, permettront d'assurer l'interop�rabilit� des
r�gles, des standards et des pratiques industrielles entre Europ�ens et
Chinois dans le secteur a�rien. Ce projet devrait �galement favoriser la
coop�ration industrielle entre l'Union europ�enne et la Chine et le
d�veloppement de relations commerciales.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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