|
|
|
European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-04-16
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission proposes banana import quantities for new Member States
[02] Detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on GM
food and feed published
[03] Commission clears joint acquisition of Secfinex by Fortis and Société
Générale
[04] Commission indicator forecasts euro area quarterly GDP growth of 0.3%
to 0.7% for both the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2004
[05] Mars 2004 : le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro en hausse à 1,
7% ; le taux de l'UE15 stable à 1,5%
[06] Deuxième estimation pour le quatrième trimestre 2003 : le PIB de la
zone euro en hausse de 0,3% et celui de l'UE15 de 0,4% ; +0,6% et +0,9%
respectivement par rapport au quatrième trimestre 2002
[07] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 16/04/2004
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 16/04/2004
[01] Commission proposes banana import quantities for new Member States
Today, the European Commission presented transitional measures for banana
imports into the ten new Member States to the Management Committee for
Bananas. The Regulation would fix an additional quantity of bananas of 300,
000 tonnes to supply the market of new Member States for the period May-
December 2004. This additional quantity would be fixed on a transitional
basis, and should in no way prejudge the outcome of the negotiations in the
context of the Article XXIV (6) GATT in which the European Union is to
engage in the coming weeks. This additional quantity would provide the new
Member States with a sufficient supply of bananas. The Regulation also
defines the necessary transitional measures for managing the additional
quantity as of 1 May 2004 in the enlarged EU.
[02] Detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on GM
food and feed published
The European Commission has adopted implementing rules that are necessary
for the operation of the Genetically Modified (GM) Food and Feed Regulation
((EC) No 1829/2003). Firstly, the implementing rules concern applications
for authorisation of new GM food and feed. They specify how these
applications should be prepared and presented. Applications must clearly
identify the scope of the application, indicate what parts are confidential
and must include amongst other a monitoring plan, a labelling proposal and
a detection method for the new GM food or feed. The implementing rules also
specify how applications submitted under other current Community
legislation will be (automatically) converted into applications under the
new GM food and feed law which enters into application on 18 April.
Secondly, the rules also cover how notifications of existing food and feed
products should be prepared and presented. The notifications must show that
the products are safe and do not mislead the consumer, must clearly
identify the scope of the application and what parts are confidential and
must include a detection method and samples of the products. Thirdly, for
the adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of non-authorised GM
material the rules specify that the Commission will draw up a list with the
GM material that is not authorised but has received a positive risk
assessment by one of the former Scientific Committees or by European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA). The list will also indicate if a detection method
is available for this GM material. The presence of this material in food or
feed will be tolerated up to 0.5%. The implementing rules are published in
the OJ L 102/14 of 7 April 2004 http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2004/l_102/l_10220040407en00140025.pdf.
More information also in Questions and Answers on GMOs - MEMO/04/85.
[03] Commission clears joint acquisition of Secfinex by Fortis and Société
Générale
The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation
to the acquisition of joint control of the UK undertaking Secfinex Limited
by Fortis Bank (Nederland) N.V. and the French undertaking Société Générale
S.A. The joint venture, Secfinex, will develop an electronic platform for
the lending and borrowing of securities. Secfinex will offer its services
on the market on a lasting basis and will have its own software. Any loans
by the parents, according to the parties, will take place at market
conditions. (The operation, notified on 11 March 2004, was examined under
the simplified merger review procedure)
[04] Commission indicator forecasts euro area quarterly GDP growth of 0.3%
to 0.7% for both the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2004
The indicator-based model for quarterly GDP growth for the euro area,
developed by the European Commission's Directorate General for Economic and
Financial Affairs, forecasts a range of 0.3% to 0.7% for GDP growth in the
first and second quarters of 2004, unchanged compared to the previous
release. This is in line with the gradual acceleration of growth projected
in the Commission Spring forecasts for the first half of 2004.
[05] Mars 2004 : le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro en hausse à 1,
7% ; le taux de l'UE15 stable à 1,5%
Le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro a augmenté de 1,6% en février à
1,7% en mars 2004, indique aujourd'hui Eurostat, l'Office statistique des
Communautés européennes. Un an auparavant, le taux était de 2,4%. Le taux
d'inflation annuel de l'UE15 était de 1,5% en mars 2004, soit le même taux
que celui de février. Un an auparavant, il s'élevait à 2,3%. Le taux
d'inflation annuel de l'EEE était de 1,5% en mars 2004.
[06] Deuxième estimation pour le quatrième trimestre 2003 : le PIB de la
zone euro en hausse de 0,3% et celui de l'UE15 de 0,4% ; +0,6% et +0,9%
respectivement par rapport au quatrième trimestre 2002
Au cours du quatrième trimestre 2003, le Produit Intérieur Brut (PIB) de la
zone euro a augmenté de 0,3% et celui de l'UE15 de 0,4% par rapport au
trimestre précédent, selon les estimations publiées aujourd'hui par
Eurostat, l'Office Statistique des Communautés européennes. Au cours du
troisième trimestre 2003, les taux de croissance avaient été de +0,4% dans
les deux zones.
[07] Autre matériel diffusé
Question and answers on the regulation of GMOs in the EU
Speech by Franz Fischler : "The facts on the Commission proposal to reform
the Mediterranean products" at videoconference with Greek journalists
(15/04)
Calendrier du 18 au 25 avril 2004
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
|
