Fuente: © European Union
http://europa.eu.int

EU: Midday Express of 2008-05-06

News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing

/noticias.info/ * Public procurement: infringement proceedings against Italy concerning public contracts awarded by City of Rocca Priora

The European Commission has decided to send a formal request to Italy regarding the procurement of waste management and pharmacies management services by the City of Rocca Priora. This formal request takes the form of a "reasoned opinion", the second stage of the infringement procedure laid down in Article 226 of the EC Treaty. If there is no satisfactory reply within two months, the Commission may refer the matter to the European Court of Justice.

* Public procurement: infringement proceedings against Germany concerning award of discount contracts by statutory sickness insurance funds

The European Commission has decided to send a formal request to Germany concerning the award of discount contracts by some 240 German statutory sickness insurance funds. The framework contracts concluded by these sickness insurance funds concern the supply of pharmaceuticals via pharmacies and specify the discount levels that suppliers give to the sickness insurance funds which pay for the pharmaceuticals delivered to the insured population. They are either concluded for groups of pharmaceutical products containing specific medical substances or for the entire portfolio of pharmaceutical products of a supplier. Contractors are mainly large pharmaceutical suppliers. This formal request takes the form of a "reasoned opinion", the second stage of the infringement procedure laid down in Article 226 of the EC Treaty. If there is no satisfactory reply within two months, the Commission may refer the matter to the European Court of Justice.

* Professional qualifications: Commission acts to ensure that Portugal and the United Kingdom implement EU laws

The Commission has decided to refer Portugal and the United Kingdom to the European Court of Justice over their failure to inform the Commission of measures taken to implement Directive 2006/100/EC. This Directive provides for technical adaptations to the Directives on professional qualifications further to the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union on 1 January 2007. It updates, amongst others, all the lists of qualifications which benefit from automatic recognition by completing them with the corresponding Bulgarian and Romanian qualifications. The deadline for transposing Directive 2006/100/EC expired on 1 January 2007. As is the case with the eight other Member States referred to the Court in April 2008 (IP/08/503), Portugal and the United Kingdom have still not brought into force all the necessary provisions.

* Qualifications professionnelles: la Commission prend des mesures à l’encontre de neuf États membres pour garantir la mise en œuvre du droit communautaire

La Commission a décidé d'adresser un avis motivé à neuf Etats membres, à savoir l'Irlande, la Grèce, la France, Chypre, Luxembourg, la Hongrie, l'Autriche, le Portugal et la Slovénie, pour non-communication des mesures des transposition de la directive 2005/36/CE relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles.

* Marché intérieur: la Commission enquête sur des entraves aux activités d'agents immobiliers à Chypre

La Commission européenne a décidé d'envoyer à Chypre une demande officielle d'informations complémentaires concernant des dispositions de sa législation nationale restreignant les activités des agents immobiliers à Chypre. En effet, la loi adoptée en juillet 2007, après l'envoi d'une première lettre de mise en demeure en juillet 2006 sur les dispositions de la loi 273/2004, pose certaines conditions à la reconnaissance des qualifications des professionnels des autres États membres et impose des limites à l'exercice de l'activité par des personnes morales, ainsi qu'à l'activité en libre prestation de services. La Commission estime que ces dispositions peuvent soulever des problèmes de compatibilité avec la directive 2005/36/CE sur la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles, et les articles 43 et 49 du traité CE garantissant respectivement la liberté d'établissement et la libre prestation de services. La lettre de mise en demeure constitue la première étape de la procédure d’infraction au titre de l’article 226 du traité CE. Chypre a deux mois pour y répondre.

* Internal Market: Commission closes case against Austria regarding boiler inspection services

The European Commission has decided to close an infringement case against Austria concerning restrictive conditions on the provision of services by foreign boiler inspection bodies, as the obstacles in question have now been removed.

* Internal Market: Commission requests Belgium to amend law on supplementary health insurance provided by private sickness funds

The European Commission has formally requested Belgium to amend its national rules so that the private sickness funds (mutualités/ziekenfondsen) comply with the EU insurance directives when they offer complementary health insurance cover outside the scope of obligatory social security. In Belgium, private sickness funds operate under specific national rules and are not subject to EU rules relating to the solvency, supervision and funding of insurance providers. The Commission is concerned that this could result in differing levels of policyholder protection and market distortions. This request takes the form of a 'reasoned opinion', the second stage of the infringement procedure under Article 226 of the EC Treaty. If there is no satisfactory reply within two months, the Commission may refer the matter to the European Court of Justice.

* Corporate governance and company law: Commission takes action to ensure that five Member States implement EU rules

The European Commission has decided to address reasoned opinions to the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands and Poland over their failure to implement in national law within the prescribed deadlines the Directive on transparency obligations of listed companies. Additionally, the Commission has decided to bring a case before the European Court of Justice against Italy over its failure to fully implement the Directive setting out disclosure requirements in respect of listed and non-listed companies.

* EU to meet the Latin American and Caribbean countries in Lima, 16 May 2008

60 Heads of State and Government from the EU Member States, Latin America and the Caribbean will gather in Lima, Peru, on May the 16th for the V EU-LAC Summit. The EU and Latin American and Caribbean leaders will debate two key themes for the bi-regional agenda: poverty reduction and social cohesion; and environment, climate change and sustainable development. The Summit should reinforce cooperation and partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean on these key subjects, and it will allow participants to voice strong support for Association Agreements with two Latin American regional organizations, the Andean Community and Central America. The European Commission will be represented by the President of the Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso. Commissioners for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, for Trade, Peter Mandelson, and for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, will also participate.

* SOLVIT: Single Market problem-solving network sees 75% growth in case volume in 2007

A Spanish student wanted to start her university studies in Belgium, but was refused because the original certified diploma of her secondary education had not been issued yet by the Spanish authorities. SOLVIT persuaded the university to accept other evidence so that she would not miss an entire academic year. A British manufacturer of marine radio equipment was asked by the German authorities to retest its products in Germany even though they had already been tested and placed on the market in other EU Member States. SOLVIT intervened to ensure that the products could be sold in Germany without costly retesting. These are only two examples of the hundreds of problems that SOLVIT managed to solve for citizens and businesses in 2007. Last year, the EU's SOLVIT network handled 819 problems encountered by citizens and businesses in exercising their Single Market rights, of which 679 (83%) were solved. In the fifth year of its existence, SOLVIT saw a growth in case volume of 75% compared with 2006 and managed to keep resolution rates high and case handling times short. These figures are set out in the European Commission's annual SOLVIT report, which concludes that 2007 has been another successful year for SOLVIT, but also, notes that staffing problems persist in several national SOLVIT centres. Several Member States are still not providing adequate resources to SOLVIT centres to allow them to engage in awareness-raising activities.

* Budget 2009: highest spending for growth and employment

Long-term economic progress and employment remain firmly at the top of European Union spending, taking the biggest share – nearly 45% - of the proposed 2009 budget - a 3% rise on 2008. The proposal presented today also highlights the growing trend to gear policy spending towards the energy and environment, with a massive 10% of the budget going on environment. Money for agriculture will remain stable at €42.9 billion. All headings in the budget will grow, reaching a total of €134.4 billion in commitments and €116.7 billion in payments.

* Commission strongly supports setting up of "EU Coalition of Stakeholders against commercial sexual exploitation of children on the Internet"

Vice-President Barrot, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, has expressed his strong support for the advanced plans to set up an EU Coalition of Stakeholders against commercial sexual exploitation of children on the Internet, presented by Missing Children Europe and other stakeholders at a press conference today.

* Commission again appeals to Austria to modify traffic restrictions on the A 12 motorway – Sectoral ban

Today the European Commission sent a reasoned opinion to Austria in order to request modifications as to traffic restrictions for heavy goods vehicles on the A 12 motorway in Tyrol. The Commission considers that the sectoral ban that entered into force on 2 May 2008 creates obstacles to cross-border trade.

* Top inventors 2008: AIDS treatment, aluminium car, eye laser scanner, surgery overhaul robot

The inventors of a ground-breaking AIDS treatment, lighter and more environmentally friendly aluminium car frames, a powerful but pain-free laser scanner for the eye, and a robot designed to overhaul medical surgery were Tuesday presented with the European Inventor of the Year 2008 award. Four outstanding inventors from Belgium, Germany United Kingdom and United States received Europe’s top innovation prize in Ljubljana today. The award trophies presented by the Slovenian President Danilo Türk, Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen and the President of the European Patent Office (EPO), Alison Brimelow, at a celebratory gala in Ljubljana. - Embargo 19:30 CET -

* Telecoms Rules: Belgium receives final warning on broadcasting “must-carry” rules

In a new round of infringement proceedings for EU Telecoms Rules, the European Commission has decided to send a reasoned opinion (the second and final stage before the case is referred to the European Court of Justice) to Belgium on “must-carry” rules imposed on broadcasters in the bilingual region of Brussels-Capital. "Must-carry rules" require network operators such as cable companies or telecom operators to carry specified radio and TV broadcast channels and services where a significant number of consumers use them as their principal means to receive radio or TV broadcasts.

* Télévision sans frontières: la Commission européenne poursuit la procédure contre l'Espagne pour non-respect de la limite de publicité télévisée

La Commission a envoyé aujourd’hui à l’Espagne un avis motivé pour non-respect des règles de la Directive "Télévision sans frontières" sur la publicité télévisée. Cette procédure d'infraction commencée en juillet 2007 se fonde sur un rapport de surveillance qui a révélé que les plus grandes chaînes espagnoles de télévision, publiques et commerciales, dépassent largement et de façon régulière la limite de 12 minutes de spots de publicité et de téléachat par heure d’horloge. Cette limite, maintenue par la nouvelle directive "services de médias audiovisuels sans frontières", a pour but de protéger le public contre les excès d'interruptions publicitaires et de promouvoir un modèle européen de télévision de qualité.

* EU provides support for upcoming elections in Georgia

The Commission has allocated €2 million to support preparations for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections in Georgia, which will take place on the 21st May 2008. This election support is designed to underpin Georgia's own efforts to address shortcomings identified at the time of the Presidential elections in January, and follows requests from the country itself for support in this area. The package will help improve administration of the elections and voter information, and thus ensure a more efficient electoral process.

* Environment: Commission issues stern warnings to Portugal and Spain over nature protection shortcomings

The European Commission is sending letters of formal notice to Portugal and Spain for failing to take sufficient measures to protect nature. The Portuguese case concerns authorisations for planned tourist complexes in protected areas in Grândola and Alcácer do Sal, south of Lisbon. The Spanish case concerns a failure to comply with a ruling by the European Court of Justice requiring Spain to designate sufficient protected areas for the conservation and protection of wild birds in a number of regions around the country.

* Closure of the infringement procedure on the transposition in Ireland of Directive 2000/78/EC

The Commission has today decided to close the infringement procedure against Ireland on the issue of protection against discrimination based on religion.

* Environment: Commission warns nine Member States for not issuing industrial permits on time

The European Commission is sending nine Member States first written warnings for failing to issue new or updated permits for over 9,000 industrial installations already in operation across Europe. These Member States did not satisfactorily issue these permits by the 30 October 2007 deadline.

* Italy: Commission pursues legal action over waste management in the Campania and Lazio regions

The European Commission is continuing legal action against Italy over two cases involving violations of EU legislation to protect human health and the environment against the risks posed by waste. The Commission is taking Italy to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the waste crisis that has plagued Naples and the Campania region. It is also sending Italy a first written warning for failing to comply in the Lazio region with an ECJ judgement that found it in breach of its obligations to adopt regional waste management plans. In this second case the Commission has the power to ask the Court to impose fines if Italy does not comply.

* Système de suivi du trafic des navires et d'information: la Commission saisit la Cour de justice d'un recours contre la Pologne

La Commission européenne a décidé aujourd'hui de traduire la Pologne devant la Cour de justice pour mauvaise transposition en droit national de la législation relative au système communautaire de suivi du trafic des navires dans les eaux de l'UE.

* Commission proposes multi-annual plan to secure the future of West of Scotland herring

The European Commission has tabled a proposal for a Council regulation on a multi-annual plan for the management of herring fisheries to the West of Scotland. The proposal will ensure the sustainability of the fishery and prevent any sudden increase in fishing pressure which could jeopardise its future. This will require adjusting the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) to achieve a high and sustainable yield by following scientific advice. The target fishing mortality rate (measure of catches) is set at 0.25 when the size of the spawning stock is greater than 75 000 tonnes, and 0.2 when it is between 75 000 tonnes and 50 000 tonnes. Should the stock fall below the 50 000 tonne level, the fishery would be closed, until it recovers.

* EU Presses Forward on the Promotion of European Rights for Energy Consumers

Leading stakeholders from across the EU met today with Consumer Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, and Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, to reinforce and promote the rights of EU energy consumers. Stakeholders gave their support to the process launched by the Commission to better implement these rights and better inform consumers. The basis for this process will be the Citizens' Energy Forum, building on the measures proposed in the "Third Energy Package".

* Industrial producer prices up by 0.7% in euro area

In March 2008 compared with February 2008, the industrial producer price index rose by 0.7% in the euro area (EA15) and by 0.6% in the EU27. In February prices increased by 0.7% in both zones. In March 2008 compared with March 2007, industrial producer prices gained 5.7% in the euro area and 6.7% in the EU27. These figures come from Eurostat.

* Taux d'épargne des ménages de 14,3% dans la zone euro et de 10,6% dans l'UE27

Eurostat et la Banque centrale européenne (BCE) publient des données détaillées sur les comptes européens trimestriels par secteur institutionnel. Le présent communiqué de presse d'Eurostat se concentre sur trois indicateurs clés: le taux d'épargne des ménages, le taux d'investissement des entreprises non-financières ainsi que la part de leurs profits dans la valeur ajoutée. Des informations plus détaillées sur la zone euro sont présentées dans une nouvelle annexe.

* Commission clears acquisition of Novexco and Novex Trading by OJSC

The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Novexco (Cyprus) Limited and Novex Trading (Swiss) SA (Novex Trading) of Switzerland by NLMK International BV (NLMK International) of The Netherlands, controlled by OJSC Novolipetsk Steel (OJSC) of Russia. OJSC is a steel production and processing group. Novexco and Novex Trading are both active in steel trading. The operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.

Rediffusion

* More funds for vital investment in EU’s neighbourhood

The EU’s Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) will be formally launched tomorrow, the 6th of May, by Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, representatives of EU Member States and ENP[1] partner countries. The NIF is a key instrument of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and will mobilise additional funding for infrastructure projects mainly in the energy, transport and environment sectors in the entire area of the European Neighbourhood Policy by providing grant support for lending operations of public European financial institutions. The Commission has already made available €100 out of the €700 million it intends to allocate to the NIF for the period 2007-2013. On top of this, the Facility is open to contributions from all EU Member States so that resources from the Community budget and of the EU countries and public financial institutions will be pooled and better streamlined for the benefit of partner countries. Germany (€10 million), Italy (€1 million) and Sweden (€1 million) plan to allocate funds to the NIF in 2008; others Member States are expected to announce their contributions shortly.

* Myanmar: la Commission européenne alloue 2 millions € d'aide humanitaire de première urgence pour les victimes du cyclone Nargis

La Commission européenne lance une décision de première urgence pour fournir de l'aide d'urgence aux victimes du cyclone Nargis qui a frappé le Myanmar ce week-end. Les fonds, gérés par le service d'aide humanitaire de la Commission (ECHO), seront déployés aussi rapidement que possible pour subvenir aux besoins de base des survivants dans la zone de la catastrophe.

* Autre matériel diffusé

• Memo on Antitrust: Commission confirms sending Statement of Objections to alleged participants in a marine hoses cartel

• Memo on Europe's top innovation prize winners announced - Embargo 19:30 CET -

• Memo on EU-Latin America relations on the eve of the Lima Summit

• Speech by Commissioner Fischer Boel "Biofuels: more valuable as fuel than as a scapegoat"

• Speech by Vice-President Kallas "Follow-up to the 2006 budgetary discharge" notas_de_prensa_archivo