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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-06-25
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] The EU joins forces with international partners on research to "clean
up" fossil fuels
[02] Construction navale : la Commission étend le mécanisme de soutien
défensif et temporaire aux transporteurs de gaz naturel liquéfié
[03] €25 million for regional cooperation with the Mediterranean and Middle
East
[04] Neil Kinnock and Hong Kong's Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph
Wong exchange views on administrative reform
[05] Anna Diamantopoulou meets Michael Sommer, President of the DGB
[06] Margot Wallström pushes for endorsement of EU's Marine Strategy
[07] Europe's largest forum of domestic election observers opens in Zagreb
today
[08] Audition, le 26 juin 2003, sur une procédure européenne d'injonction
de payer
[09] Commission and United Nations launch UN Guidelines on the Use of
Military and Civil Defence Assets
[10] La Commission et le Canada organisent à Bruxelles un séminaire public
pour discuter de la coopération en matière de réglementation
[11] Ethnic minority entrepreneurs in Europe : Commission to initiate
dialogue at a conference in Brussels
[12] Une première mondiale : la recherche européenne découvre des remèdes
aux incidences sur l'environnement des antibiotiques
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 25/06/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 25/06/2003
[01] The EU joins forces with international partners on research to "clean
up" fossil fuels
On 24 June in Washington, the European Commission, represented by Loyola de
Palacio, Vice President in charge of Energy and Transport, signed an
international charter on CO² capture and storage (CO²/carbon
sequestration). This will create the "Carbon Sequestration Leadership
Forum" with Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Italy, India, Japan,
Mexico, Norway, the People's Republic of China, Russia, the United Kingdom
and the US. The Forum aims to stimulate research into carbon sequestration
technologies, to "clean up" fossil fuels by capturing CO² at source and
storing it for thousands of years deep underground. This will help reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
[02] Construction navale : la Commission étend le mécanisme de soutien
défensif et temporaire aux transporteurs de gaz naturel liquéfié
Aujourd'hui, la Commission européenne a décidé d'étendre l'octroi des aides
d'Etat limitées et temporaires dans le secteur des chantiers navals
(mesures appelées mécanisme de soutien défensif temporaire) aux
transporteurs de gaz naturel liquéfié (GNL). Le Commissaire au Commerce
Pascal Lamy a déclaré : "La décision d'aujourd'hui donne un répit
temporaire aux chantiers navals pour la construction de méthaniers
européens transporteurs de GNL qui font face à de sérieuses difficultés,
alors que la Corée continue de vendre ses bateaux à des prix inférieurs aux
coûts de production. Je suis confiant dans le fait que l'OMC va bientôt
condamner ses pratiques déloyales et que la Corée y mettra alors fin." Le
Commissaire à la concurrence Mario Monti a déclaré : "Même si les aides
d'Etat ne sont pas le moyen de rendre la construction navale plus
compétitive dans l'ensemble, la décision d'aujourd'hui montre que la
Commission reconnaît les circonstances exceptionnelles de ce cas dans
lequel les intérêts de la Communauté sont en jeu."
[03] €25 million for regional cooperation with the Mediterranean and Middle
East
With a total budget of €25 million from the MEDA Programme, the European
Commission will launch a number of small-scale operations (maximum €2
million each) to facilitate and reinforce the cooperation with its
Mediterranean Partners. Operations to be funded include studies for the
preparation and evaluation of large bilateral or regional projects, grants
for cultural or information activities to promote peace and dialogue in the
region and organisation of meetings in the scope of the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership.
[04] Neil Kinnock and Hong Kong's Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph
Wong exchange views on administrative reform
The Secretary for the Civil Service of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region (HKSAR), Mr Joseph Wong, called on the Vice-President of the
European Commission responsible for Administrative Reform, Mr Neil Kinnock,
in Brussels today. This was the first official visit to Brussels of a Hong
Kong Principal Official since Hong Kong successfully contained the SARS
outbreak. Mr Wong and Mr Kinnock exchanged views on reforms in the Hong
Kong Civil Service and at the Commission. They also considered the
possibility of a secondment scheme for civil servants working in the
Commission and HKSARG. Mr Wong briefed Mr Kinnock on the Civil Service
Reform that Hong Kong had initiated in 1999, with the objective of ensuring
that the civil service can provide more efficient and cost-effective
services for the public, enhancing the competitive advantages of Hong Kong.
He also informed Mr Kinnock about Hong Kong's successful efforts to contain
the SARS outbreak and underlined the dedication of the Hong Kong civil
service and of the front-line medical and health care workers. When they
met in Brussels on 21 May last year, Commission President Romano Prodi and
Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration, Donald Tsang, had jointly
declared that Commission-Hong Kong relations should be enhanced, notably by
exploring potential areas of enhanced cooperation. Mr Kinnock and Mr Wong
discussed possible cooperation between Commission and HKSARG civil services
and agreed to conduct further exploratory talks at working level. Such a
scheme could include exchanges of officials, something that could foster
mutual understanding and enable Hong Kong and Commission civil servants of
gaining first-hand knowlegde of the institutions and policies of the other
party, thus enhancing relations between the European Union and Hong Kong.
[05] Anna Diamantopoulou meets Michael Sommer, President of the DGB
Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner for Employment and Social
Affairs, will today meet Michael Sommer, President of the Confederation of
German Trade Unions (DGB). This is their second meeting this year and will
be an occasion to discuss a number of issues of mutual interest including
modernisation of the labour market, social protection and social dialogue,
as well as matters of general interest such as the draft Constitution for
Europe.
[06] Margot Wallström pushes for endorsement of EU's Marine Strategy
On 26 June 2003 European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström
participates in the joint Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission,
HELCOM, and Oslo and Paris Comission, OSPAR, on the protection of the
Baltic Sea and the North East Atlantic. Ministers at the meeting will try
to agree on a number of important actions for the protection of the marine
environment. Among the issues to be discussed is the contribution of HELCOM
and OSPAR to the development of the EU marine strategy. Commissioner
Wallström said : "I hope HELCOM and OSPAR will join us in taking up the
challenge of enhanced marine protection by endorsing the approach set out
in our Marine Strategy. This strategy presents a coherent and consistent
approach to control the pressures on marine ecosystems and improve the
quality of European seas. Healthy seas and oceans are crucial to the
survival of our planet. We must ensure that the exploitation of the sea's
natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable, proceeds in a
sustainable manner. The EU's marine strategy is a step in this direction."
The meeting will also focus on the future cooperation between the EU and
the marine conventions in the light of enlargement of the European Union.
[07] Europe's largest forum of domestic election observers opens in Zagreb
today
Domestic election observers from across Europe and other regions convene in
Zagreb today to identify strategies to improve the effectiveness and
professionalism of observer groups and address limitations to their work.
With over 30 observer groups represented, the five-day European Domestic
Election Observer Forum is the largest meeting of its kind. The Forum is
organised by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR) and the Network of Europeans for Electoral and Democracy Support
(NEEDS), which is sponsored by the European Commission. Over the past 15
years, domestic non-partisan civic organisations have played an important
role in consolidating democratic transition. Thousands of citizens have
joined domestic observer groups to monitor elections in their countries.
The value of domestic election observation is increasingly recognised by
governments, but in several countries observer groups still face serious
obstacles in carrying out their work. OSCE/ODIHR and the Commission support
the development of professional, credible and impartial domestic observer
groups to strengthen their role in the consolidation of democracy
throughout the region and beyond. At the meeting, OSCE/ODIHR will present a
new handbook of best practice for domestic election observers, developed
with the participation of domestic observer groups from across the OSCE
region. The NEEDS project, which is 90% funded by the Commission, is
planning to organise similar events in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/human_rights/eu_election_ass_observ/index.htm
http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/eidhr/elections_observation_en.htm
[08] Audition, le 26 juin 2003, sur une procédure européenne d'injonction
de payer
La Commission européenne tiendra une audition, le 26 juin 2003 (bâtiment
Charlemagne, Auditorium S 3, rue de la Loi 170, 1000 Bruxelles), sur les
mesures qui pourraient être prises, au niveau communautaire, pour créer une
procédure européenne d'injonction de payer - autrement dit, une procédure
spécifique rapide et économique pour le recouvrement de créances dans tous
les Etats membres. Cette initiative s'inscrit dans les efforts que déploie
l'Union européenne en vue de l'établissement d'un véritable espace européen
de justice.
[09] Commission and United Nations launch UN Guidelines on the Use of
Military and Civil Defence Assets
The European Commission and the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian
Actions (OCHA) launch the UN Guidelines on the Use of Military and Civil
Defence Assets (known as MCDA Guidelines) to support United Nations
humanitarian activities in complex emergencies. These guidelines set out
the main principles, concepts, tasks and responsibilities of the players in
a complex humanitarian emergency. The guidelines will be presented by Poul
Nielson (Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid), Kenzo Oshima
(UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief
Coordinator), Jean-Christophe Rufin (President of Action Contre la Faim)
and General Günther Greindl (former Austrian official and chairman of the
internal consultative group on the use of MCDA) during a conference that
will take place in Brussels on 26 June 2003 (Centre Albert Borschette) from
10h30 to 12h00. A press conference will be held at the Centre Albert
Borschette at 11h30 on 26 June 2003.
[10] La Commission et le Canada organisent à Bruxelles un séminaire public
pour discuter de la coopération en matière de réglementation
Le 26 juin à Bruxelles, la Commission européenne et la représentation du
Canada auprès de l'Union européenne organisent un séminaire UE-Canada sur
la politique et la coopération en matière de réglementation. L'objectif de
ce séminaire est d'examiner de quelle manière la coopération
transatlantique peut contribuer à améliorer la gouvernance, les décisions
pour les citoyens, l'environnement des entreprises et de la recherche et
créer un climat plus favorable au commerce et à l'investissement. Des
fonctionnaires de haut rang dans le domaine de la réglementation et du
commerce, des représentants du monde des entreprises, des associations de
consommateurs, des ONG et des experts scientifiques comptent parmi les
participants. Ils examineront comment l'intensification de la coopération
transatlantique peut contribuer à accroître la transparence, l'efficacité
et le rapport coûts-efficacité de façon à satisfaire aux objectifs sociaux,
économiques et environnementaux.
[11] Ethnic minority entrepreneurs in Europe : Commission to initiate
dialogue at a conference in Brussels
The power of ethnic minority entrepreneurs to spur economic growth, raise
living standards and enhance social inclusiveness across Europe will be
discussed at a conference in Brussels on 26 June. To be opened by
Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen, it aims to generate support for a
pan-European study of ethnic minority entrepreneurship, and begin building
networks of national officials and private practitioners to promote it.
Access to finance and support services, and strategies for breaking out of
political isolation and local, low-income, co-ethnic markets, will be
reviewed by ethnic minority entrepreneurs, their representative bodies, and
officials from national, regional, European and international
organisations. Wide diversity in existing ethnic minority entrepreneurship
models and their performance across Europe suggests there may be extensive
unfulfilled potential for ethnic minority businesses to expand within and
beyond their traditional areas of trading, food and tourism.
[12] Une première mondiale : la recherche européenne découvre des remèdes
aux incidences sur l'environnement des antibiotiques
Les résultats de trois projets de recherche européens (ERAVMIS,
REMPHARMAWATER et POSEIDON), concernant treize pays européens et
établissant les incidences sur l'environnement des antibiotiques à usage
humain et vétérinaire et les remèdes possibles, seront présentés en
première à la presse le 27 juin au Gryaab, à Göteborg (Suède), la plus
grande installation de traitement des eaux usées de Scandinavie. Les
antibiotiques peuvent s'introduire dans notre environnement et y avoir des
conséquences dommageables et préoccupantes. La consommation de ces
substances a atteint 12.500 tonnes par an au cours de la dernière décennie
et elle continue d'augmenter. Les antibiotiques sont en partie métabolisés
par l'organisme, mais des milliers de tonnes échouent néanmoins dans
l'environnement chaque année via les excrétions. Des résultats récents
confirment que l'on peut maintenant en trouver dans les effluents urbains
et les déchets agricoles. Si l'on ne fait rien, ils contamineront nos
ressources en eau et nos sols.
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Romano Prodi : "Looking ahead in transatlantic relations" at
dinner at Rayburn House with German Marshall Fund of the United States
(24/06, Washington)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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