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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-09-01
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Matériel diffusé
[02] Une meilleure coopération entre États membres est indispensable pour
renforcer la défense des intérêts financiers de l’Union
européenne
[03] The Commission pursues its improvements in the protection of the
EU’s financial interests
[04] US Byrd Amendment – WTO says eight WTO Members may retaliate against
the US – Joint Press statement by Brazil, Canada, Chile, the EU, India,
Japan, Korea, and Mexico
[05] Juillet 2004 - Le chômage dans la zone euro stable 9,0% ; l’UE25
en baisse 9,0%
[06] 20% testing requirement for imports of poultry meat from Brazil lifted
[07] Commission clears CVC/Francisco Partners buy of Hynix Semiconductor
unit
Midday Express of 2004-09-01
Reference: MEX/04/0901
Date: 01/09/2004
EXME04 /01.09
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Presse etb
Communication
01/09/04
[01] Matériel diffusé
[02] Une meilleure coopération entre États membres est indispensable pour
renforcer la défense des intérêts financiers de l’Union
européenne
La Commission a adopté un projet de règlement visant renforcer
l’efficacité de la lutte contre la fraude par une coopération
administrative accrue avec les États membres et entre ces derniers. Les
autorités nationales compétentes des divers États membres auront
l'obligation de se fournir mutuellement, la demande, des informations et
une assistance en matière de surveillance. La Commission aura accès ces
informations, afin de faciliter et de coordonner les activités antifraude
des États membres par les analyses de risque pertinentes. Ce règlement
relatif l’assistance administrative mutuelle couvre la fraude
transnationale la TVA grande échelle, le blanchiment des produits de
la fraude communautaire, de la fraude au détriment des Fonds structurels
et des autres subventions issues du budget de l'UE. Cette coopération sera
axée sur les affaires transnationales importantes concernant un préjudice
fiscal d’au moins 500 000 euros en cas de fraude la TVA et de
100 000 euros dans les autres cas.
[03] The Commission pursues its improvements in the protection of the
EU’s financial interests
The 2003 report recently issued by the Commission illustrates the continued
efforts to improve the fight against fraud, in terms of structures and
procedures, both within the European institutions and at national level.
The report highlights the significant efforts undertaken to audit the
structural funds following recommendations by the Court of Auditors,
develop information sharing with the Member states and improve recovery in
the area of direct expenditure such as agriculture. The Commission remains
concerned that Member States do not notify irregularities on a sufficiently
consistent basis and that their efforts to safeguard the Communities
financial interests and claw-back funds are not always adequate, although
organisational improvements are progressively bringing about an improvement
of the situation. The report also reveals a decrease in the overall number
of cases and amounts of irregularity reported in the fields of own
resources, CAP and structural funds. Likewise, the Commission is continuing
its own efforts through the final stage of implementation of its 2000-2005
strategy, through further improvements in OLAF’s regulatory and
organisational environment; enhanced information flows with Member States;
and the preparations for the future establishment of an European Public
Prosecutor.
[04] US Byrd Amendment – WTO says eight WTO Members may retaliate against
the US – Joint Press statement by Brazil, Canada, Chile, the EU, India,
Japan, Korea, and Mexico
The WTO arbitrators have today given a green light for eight WTO Members to
retaliate up to more than $150 million against the U.S. for failing to
comply with its international trade obligations. In January 2003, the WTO
ruled as illegal a piece of U.S. legislation commonly known as the “Byrd
Amendment”, under which anti-dumping and countervailing duties are
distributed to the domestic companies that had requested or supported the
imposition of those duties. The WTO gave the U.S. until December 2003 to
comply with the WTO ruling but the U.S. missed this deadline. The failure
by the U.S. to bring its measure into conformity with WTO rules prompted
eight WTO members - Brazil, Canada, Chile, the EU, India, Korea, Japan and
Mexico – to request authorisation from the WTO to impose additional
import duties on US products or to suspend other obligations to the US.
Further to today’s award, the co-complainants may exercise their
retaliatory rights, at any time deemed appropriate, in accordance with the
award and the requirements of the WTO rules on the settlement of trade
disputes. The award of the Arbitrators cannot be appealed. The eight WTO
Members strongly urge the US to act immediately to repeal the illegal
“Byrd Amendment”. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said: “The Byrd
amendment has raised widespread concerns from the outset as evidenced by
the large number of complainants in this case. Trade defence instruments
are a legitimate tool, but they have to follow WTO rules. It is clear that
the Byrd Amendment is a WTO-incompatible response to dumping and
subsidisation and must therefore go. I hope the US will now take action to
remove this measure, thus avoiding the risk of sanctions. "
[05] Juillet 2004 - Le chômage dans la zone euro stable 9,0% ; l’UE25
en baisse 9,0%
Le taux de chômage de la zone euro, corrigé des variations saisonnières,
s'est élevé 9,0% en juillet 2004, inchangé par rapport au mois de juin,
selon les données publiées aujourd'hui par Eurostat. Il était de 8,9%
en juillet 2003. Le taux de chômage de l’UE25 a atteint 9,0% en juillet
2004, en baisse par rapport juin où il s’élevait 9,1%. Il était
également de 9,1% en juillet 2003. En juillet 2004, les taux les plus bas
ont été enregistrés en Autriche (4,2%), au Luxembourg (4,3%), en Irlande
et Chypre (4,5% chacun) et au Royaume-Uni (4,7% en mai). Les taux de
chômage les plus élevés ont été observés en Pologne (18,8%), en
Slovaquie (15,9%), en Lituanie (11,3%) et en Espagne (11,0%).
[06] 20% testing requirement for imports of poultry meat from Brazil lifted
The European Commission has adopted a decision lifting the remaining 20%
testing requirement on poultry meat from Brazil. Since October 2002, all
consignments of poultry meat and poultry meat products from Brazil had to
be tested for the presence of residues of nitrofurane, since this substance
had been detected in imported products from this country (see <a
href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/02/1351&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/02/1351).
On the basis of the guarantees offered by the Brazilian authorities, the
results of the tests carried out by the Member States and the results of a
mission of the Food and Veterinary Office, the requirement to test all
consignments was reduced from 100% to 20% on 2 March 2004. No further
notifications of nitrofurans in poultry from Brazil have been received
through the EU rapid alert system since this reduction of testing.
Therefore, the Commission considers that no further specific measures are
necessary for imports of Brazilian poultry meat and adopted, with the
agreement of the Member States through the Standing Committee on the Food
Chain and Animal Health, the decision to return to normal routine testing.
[07] Commission clears CVC/Francisco Partners buy of Hynix Semiconductor
unit
The European Commission has granted regulatory clearance, under the Merger
Regulation, to a proposed concentration whereby several funds belonging to
Citicorp Venture Capital (CVC, USA), itself controlled by Citigroup, Inc.,
and US investment fund Francisco Partners (USA) acquire control of the
System IC Business of Hynix Semiconductor, Inc. of South Korea by way of
purchase of shares (the deal was notified on July 30 and examined under a
simplified procedure).
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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