EXME09 / 10.09
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communication
10 / 09 / 09
- La Commission entend renforcer la lutte contre le terrorisme et autres infractions pénales graves en autorisant les services répressifs à consulter les empreintes digitales des demandeurs de protection internationale
La Commission a adopté aujourd’hui un train de mesures visant à autoriser les services répressifs à consulter la base de données EURODAC aux fins de la lutte contre le terrorisme et autres infractions pénales graves, telles la traite des êtres humains et le trafic de stupéfiants. Ces mesures visent également à tenir compte des suggestions émises par le Parlement européen et le Conseil sur le règlement EURODAC afin de rendre la base de données EURODAC plus efficace.
The European Commission has adopted a Communication on Completing SEPA: a Roadmap for 2009-2012 in response to the Communication on 'Driving European recovery' (IP/09/351). The Single Euro Payment Area, or SEPA, is an initiative of the European banking and aims at creating an integrated market for electronic payment services in euros, with harmonised sets of business rules and technical standards. With these new European payments, consumers, companies, merchants and public administrations will be able to make payments under the same conditions throughout Europe as easily as within their own country. The Communication provides a framework for action within six priority areas where greater involvement of all relevant actors is required in order to achieve the full implementation of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA).
- Climate change: Commission sets out global finance blueprint for ambitious action by developing nations – EMBARGO 12h30 CET -
The European Commission today put forward a blueprint for scaling up international finance to help developing countries combat climate change. This initiative aims to maximise the chances of concluding an ambitious global climate change agreement at the December U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen. By 2020 developing countries are likely to face annual costs of around €100 billion to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Much of the finance needed will have to come from domestic sources and an expanded international carbon market, but international public financing of some €22-50 billion a year is also likely to be necessary. The Commission proposes that industrialised nations and economically more advanced developing countries should provide this public financing in line with their responsibility for emissions and ability to pay. This could mean an EU contribution of some €2-15 billion a year by 2020, assuming an ambitious agreement is reached in Copenhagen.
On 9 September 2009, a Turkish delegation lead by Mr Yusuf Yazar, Deputy Undersecretary for Energy, met in Vienna with a European Commission negotiating team headed by Mr Fabrizio Barbaso, Deputy Director General for Energy, for a first negotiating session in view of Turkey's accession to the Energy Community Treaty. "Turkey is carrying out fundamental reforms in order to address its huge energy challenge. Turkey is well prepared and has an important role to play in the Energy Community. I hope that the negotiations will proceed swiftly and could be concluded in the coming months" commented Commissioner Piebalgs.
- European Commission and Swedish EU Presidency to visit Zimbabwe in bid to restore eventual aid co-operation
European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Karel De Gucht will undertake a joint visit to Zimbabwe as part of an EU Troika mission with the Swedish EU Presidency on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September.
- State aid: Commission approves prolongation of state guarantees for NordLB
The European Commission has authorised, under EC Treaty state aid rules, a 6 months prolongation until 15 February 2010 of a measure which allows the provision of state guarantees, by the German Länder Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, on securities which are used to supply financing to NordLB. The Commission found the prolongation of the measure, initially approved on 22 December 2008 (see IP/08/2056), to be in line with its Banking Communication (see IP/08/1495). In particular, the extended measure is limited in time and scope and necessary to cover the bank's refinancing demands and to enable it to continue extending loans to the real economy. The Commission has therefore concluded that it represents an appropriate means of remedying a serious disturbance in the German economy and is thus compatible with Article 87(3)(b) of the EC Treaty.
Rediffusion
- Inondations en Afrique de l’Ouest : la Commission européenne alloue une aide d'urgence de 3 millions d’euros
La Commission européenne va allouer un montant de 3 millions d’euros pour répondre aux besoins urgents des populations touchées par les violentes inondations survenues début septembre en Afrique de l’Ouest et, plus particulièrement, dans la capitale du Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. Près de 150 000 personnes ont été affectées par ces inondations. Les fonds seront gérés par le Service d'aide humanitaire de la Commission (ECHO), sous la responsabilité directe du Commissaire Karel De Gucht.
- Autre matériel diffusé
• Memo on Police cooperation: Allowing access to fingerprints stored in EURODAC by Member States' law enforcement authorities and by Europol
• Memo on Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) – Frequently Asked Questions see (IP/09/1296)
• Memo Questions and Answers on the Communication Stepping up international climate finance: A European blueprint for the Copenhagen deal – EMBARGO 12h30 CET -
• Memo on Antitrust: Commission welcomes Court judgment in Akzo Nobel case
• Speech by Vice-President Wallström 'The low-carbon economy: a necessity and an opportunity', Brussels
• Speech by Vice-President Wallström 'Transparency and Clear Legal Language in the EU', Stockholm
• Speech by Vice-President Verheugen ' Avoiding new barriers, whilst securing the sea transport of containers', Bremen
