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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8635

31 January 2004
Contents Publication in full By article 20 / 47
GENERAL NEWS / (eu) eu/competition
Commission agrees to amend "Rhodia" commitment in Hoechst/Rhône-Poulenc decision

Brussels, 30/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Friday the European Commission agreed to swap a commitment by Aventis to divest its remaining 15% stake in Rhodia with a commitment to sell its indirectly held 49% stake in Wacker Chemie. The Commission, in 1999, granted regulatory approval to the merger between Hoechst and Rhône-Poulenc, which created Aventis, on the condition of certain sell-offs to address competition problems. Rhodia's declining financial health since then has made the sale...

Contents

THE DAY IN POLITICS
(EU) EP/ENLARGEMENT: Pat Cox in Budapest for 16th conference of presidents from enlargement countries
(EU) EP/MACEDONIA: Formal accession request made by Skopje on 26 February - Doris Pack had recommended waiting till 2005
(EU) EP/ARMENIA/ENLARGEMENT: Revised Gahrton report on southern Caucasus mentions 1987 resolution and "genocide" of Armenians
(EU) EU/EP/UN: Parliament calls for greater political presence, more coherency and transparency in EU within strengthened UN, as well as more effective multilateralism - permanent seat for EU at Security Council
(EU) EU/USA: Powell reacts sharply to Flahauts ideas
(EU) EP/GERMANY: SPD prepares for mass return of outgoing MEPs
(EU) EP/BELGIUM: Presidents of parties first in line
(EU) EP/AUSTRIA: Distrustful voters await Austrian candidates
(EU) EU/IGC: call from European movement to conclude before 1st May
(EU) EU/IGC/NETHERLANDS: Bot warns against "pioneer groups" - But the Netherlands could move into "higher gear", in the context of the treaty
(EU) EU/UEF/BELGIUM:
GENERAL NEWS
(EU) EU/AIR TRANSPORT: relatively lenient decision likely on Ryanair - Posted for March transport council agenda
(EU) EU/COMPETITION: extensive inquiry into sale of sports rights to internet and 3g mobile operators
(EU) EU/COMPETITION: game is not over in Microsoft case, but time is running out, says Mario Monti
(EU) EU/COMPETITION: ongoing investigation into Salva-Calcio decision
(EU) EU/ECONOMY: economic players feeling more positive
(EU) EU/ECONOMY:
(EU) EU/FRANCE/GERMANY:
(EU) EU/COMPETITION:
(EU) EU/COMPETITION: Commission agrees to amend "Rhodia" commitment in Hoechst/Rhône-Poulenc decision
(EU) EU/COMMISSION: College meeting agenda for 3 February
(EU) EU/USA/CONSUMERS: Food policy and fight against obesity, copyright on trans-Atlantic dialogue agenda
(EU) EU/ROAD SAFETY: European Road Safety Charter is launched, and must be signed on 6 April in Dublin
(EU) EU/TELECOMMUNICATIONS: 30/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - Memorandum of Understanding is signed between Commission and CEPT
(EU) EU/GOOD NEIGHBOURS:
(EU) EU/NEIGHBOURHOOD/MAROC: Verheugen in Rabat 4/5 February for consultations ahead of setting up action plan
(EU) EU/LIBYA: "frank and open" meetings on the barcelona process, illegal immigration, international situation and human rights. tripoli offers EU its "direct democracy" model
(EU) EU/HUMANITARIAN AID: 6.5 million euros for disaster preparedness in countries at risk
(EU) EU/UNITED STATES/WTO: EU will no longer be stalling for time in FSC affair - Washington is to abolish tax aid on exports system by 1 March or unprecedented disciplinary action will hit all that is "Made in America", it is confirmed at the Commission after Ambassador Schnabel's call for yet another stay of execution
(EU) EU/RUSSIA/WTO: Decisive phase in talks on Russian membership to WTO
(EU) EU/WTO: Asian and Latin American countries call for Doha to be reactivated
(EU) EP/WTO: Speaking to MEPs, Pascal Lamy insists on minimal but urgent reform of WTO
(EU) EU/VIETNAM/AVIAN FLU/EU EXPERT IN VIETNAM:
(EU) EU/TRADE DEFENCE:
(EU) EU/ECONOMY:
(EU) EU/EP/ENVIRONMENT: At third reading, Parliament approves amended directive on packaging and packaging waste thus allowing it to be formally adopted
(EU) EP/SPACE: EP insists on establishment of European space policy and on continuing Galileo project
(EU) EP/HOLOCAUST:
(EU) EP/INDUSTRy: Parliament support for commission's position regarding textile and clothing industry - MEPS concerned about SMEs and intellectual property
(EU) EP/ORGANISATION: parliament equipped with 20 committees
(EU) EU/EP/GMO: unlike the European Commission, the Greens/ALE and Greenpeace consider the regulatory framework on GMOs to be deficient
(EU) EP/AGRICULTURE:
(EU) EU/EDUCATION/SPORT: Joint Troika declaration - positive effects of enlargement
(EU) EU/EESC/NUCLEAR: Claude Cambus' own initiative report on stakes at play for nuclear produced electricity industry - divergence between those for and against nuclear power
(EU) EU/GLOBALISATION: ULB symposium 12 February
TIMETABLE
(EU) Main European activities from 2 to 9 February 2004:
€ VALUE IN DIFFERENT CURRENCIES ON 30/01/2004: