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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8638

5 February 2004
Contents Publication in full By article 47 / 56
ECONOMIC INTERPENETRATION / (eu) optics

Dutch investment fund HAL HOLDING has launched a take-over bid through its subsidiary MULTIBRANDS of optical distributor GRANVISION optical distributors for EUR 598 million (turnover EUR 604 million in 2003) of which it already has a 32.95% stake. The offer has been set at EUR 25.50 per share. GRANVISION will bring their share prices down slightly to EUR 25 per share.

Contents

A LOOK BEHIND THE NEWS
: WEU's priorities and concerns about Defence Europe
THE DAY IN POLITICS
(EU) EP/EPP/CDU: Angela Merkel's suggestion to break deadlock on double majority in Council - Turkey's accession will not be "the" theme of European electoral campaignin Germany
(EU) EP/CONSTITUTION/ITALY: President Ciampi encourages all Parliament initiatives to speed agreement before elections
(EU) EU/EPP: EPP Congress may call for choice of future Commission president to reflect June elections and agreement on Constitution by May - EPP Summit on 19 February in Athens - Strong points of EPP action programme
(EU) EU/EPP: EPP Congress takes stance in favour of excluding former Communist leaders
(EU) EU/EPP/TURKEY: Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is to argue in favour of Turkey joining the EU at EPP Congress
(EU) EU/EPP CONGRESS/UNITED KINGDOM: Denis McShane asks Michael Howard if British Conservatives are to remain in EPP group (who he attacks for his "federalist convictions" and the anti-Turkish rhetoric" of the CEDU/CSU)
(EU) EP/PES/ITALY: Renzo Imbeni calls on centre left to speak up over incompatibility of national and European parliamentary mandate
(EU) EP/MIDDLE EAST:
(EU) EP/IRELAND:
(EU) EP/EUROPEAN POLITICAL PARTIES: Andrew Duff shocked by opposition of British Conservatives to statute
(EU) EU/WEU: Assembly conference on proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism with Ana Palacio
(EU) EP/NOBEL PEACE PRIZE:
(EU) EP/REGIONS:
GENERAL NEWS
(EU) EU/ENLARGEMENT/ROMANIA: Emma Nicholson calls for suspension of accession negotiations - Guy Verhofstadt says "no reason to suspend talks"
(EU) EU/2004 BUDGET/ENLARGEMENT: Increase of budget by 11.8 billion EUR due to accession of ten new Member States - Budget to rise to 1.09% of GDP in 2005
(EU) EU/INTERNAL MARKET: Commission to enforce Community law on French and Italian public procurement
(EU) EU/ENLARGEMENT/TRADE/RUSSIA: Commission considers enlargement will have beneficial effect on trade with third countries - No "legal base" for Russian demands
(EU) EU/COMPETITION: Salva-Calcio decree is not in line with European law
(EU) ACP/EU: Commission submits Council negotiation mandate for five-yearly revision of Cotonou agreement
(EU) EU/TRANSPORT: Trialogue on second railway package 18 February
(EU) EU/ENLARGEMENT/ECONOMY:
(EU) EU/RESEARCH/ENERGY: 30 million EUR for nuclear research
(EU) EU/TRANSPORT/RYANAIR: Reactions to Ryanair decision - Assembly of European Regions to hold meeting of national transport ministers in Brussels on 12 February
(EU) EU/INFLATION:
(EU) EU/AUDIOVISUAL:
(EU) EP/AIR TRANSPORT/STATE AID: On the whole, MEPs welcome Commission's decision on Ryanair
(EU) EU/AGRICULTURE/STATE AID: State aid approved for first time to facilitate agricultural SMEs' access to risk capital funds
(EU) EU/AGRICULTURE: Irregular agricultural spending is reimbursed
(EU) EP/WOMEN:
(EU) EU/COMMISSION/ACCOUNTING: Ambitious programme to modernise accounting system is "largely respected", Schreyer says
(EU) EU/UNITED STATES/TRADE: Aznar suggests creation of high level bilateral economic committee - Commission says dialogue structures are already in place
(EU) EP/PARMALAT AFFAIR:
(EU) EU/TAXATION/FSC: "Fiscal ruling" regime for American FSCs in Belgium is illegal State aid, which Commission rules must end
(EU) OECD/TECHNOLOGY: Poor use of information and communication technology in upper secondary education
(EU) EU/MEDICINE:
(EU) EU/MARITIME TRANSPORT: Commission decides to send a letter of formal notice to Greece
(EU) EU/STATE AID: UK to reduce excise duty in favour of bioethanol
(EU) EU/STATE AID: Commission approves aid in favour of AMD Fab 36 LLC & Co. KG in Dresden
(EU) EU/COMPETITION:
(EU) EU/ECONOMY:
(EU) EU/EESC: Lisbon strategy must be implemented with support of European citizens, Council President Dick Roche states
(EU) EU/EESC/AGRICULTURE: Committee considers competitive and sustainable agriculture is essential for safeguarding jobs and social development
(EU) EU/POVERTY:
(EU) EU/HEALTH:
ECONOMIC INTERPENETRATION
(EU) Banking:
(EU) Optics:
(EU) Security:
(EU) Maritime:
(EU) Car parts:
(EU) Construction:
(EU) Cable:
(EU) Pubs:
(EU) Oil:
(EU) Electronics:
€ VALUE IN DIFFERENT CURRENCIES ON 04/02/2004: