"Euro Info Gentre News" ISSUE No. 1194 17 January 1994 Contents EIC Activities TV Publications { I EC News V Calls for Porposals/ Official Journal deadlines F\ Ilr IIL Questions and Answers VI. Seminars, Conferences Workshops Annexes L. The EU Brport Promotion Programme for 1994 2. Draft list of areas eligible for Objective 2 3. Joint Information Note of the EC and EFIA Education Elrperts on EEA C-o-operation in the field of Education, Tfaining and Youth I. EIC ACTIVITIES FR-275 - Poitiers which was attended by a delegation of Scottish enterprises. Within the framework of the inter-ElC exchange programme backed by DG XXIII, the Ms Macdonald and Ms I-aurence Matas, Poitou Charentes (France) EIC was host for Information Officer for the Poitou Charentes two wee*s to Ms Norma Macdonald from the EIC, visited the French EICs of the central and Inverness (Scotland) EIC. Limousin regions, where they were able to observe at first hand how they operate, who their partners are, how they invoice and the During her stay, Ms Macdonald played an nature of their economic environment (very active part in FUTURALLIA 93. The different SME/SMI fabrics). Inverness EIC was a partner in this event, which was part of the Community Such experiences enable more fruitful INTERPRISE Programme. The Scottish cooperation between EIC-s and generate joint highlands region had a stand at the forum projects. C:,E.ICNEWS/D-001EWP.mag/14. 01. 94ldos Page 2 ll. EC NEWS 1. COMMITTEE OF THE data collection would be made at national level REGIONS by each Member State. The Economic and Social Committee, which is to host the European lJnion's new Committee Ref: COM(93) 476 final; Dec. 9; 12 pages of the Regions, is now aiming for an early IEDR 581. February launch date for its sister body according to an ECOSOC spokesman. The This document is available immediately from European Document Research on our normal much-delayed committee was to have met for terrns. further information and mpies the first time by January L5, but the session For for documents, please contact at Rue had been put off because recent local elections of EC EDR 3eme etage, 8-L040 Brussels, in Portugal delayed selection of its de Tteves 61, Belgium. Tblephone (322) 230 88L4, tax (322) delegation, and France and Italy have also been slow to provide full details of their committee 230 8965. members. "The working date now is either the first or second of February, depending on the Council's decision,n the ECOSOC spokesman 3. EC BTJDGET said. ECOSOC has taken out a provisional booking at the European Parliament's Espace The European Community's budget ought to Leopold building to hold the first session -- almost double when a single currency is with the committee's L89 members, plus an created, with central banks' profits being a equal number of alternates -- on those dates. good way to contribute to its financing, Reacting to hopes expressed by Greek according to a report(*) produced by a group European Affairs Minister Theodoros Pangalos of economists for the European Commission. on Wednesday that the inaugural meeting may "In the economic and monetary union, the sti[ be possible in January, the ECOSOC Community budget should be financed in a way spokesman said the timetable depended on the different from the present one,n the report says. Council of Ministers, but little time now The budget is currently funded by national remained to prepare for the meeting. mntributions from Value Added Thx (VAT) revenues and, to a lesser extent, customs duties and farm levies. 'European Central Bank 2. EC TRADE STATISTICS profits are as convincing a candidate for new own resources (as current sources)', the'report EUROPEAN DOCUMENT RBSEARCH says. It sees the EC budget increasing to two percent the C-ommunity's gross domestic January 5, 1994 of product "in the early yean following the The Commission has proposed a Council introduction of a single currency (ie in about Regulation on the statistics relating to the 10 to 15 years)'. The EC budget represented trading of goods by the Community and its 1.19 percent of GDP in 1992. Member States with non-member countries. a year ago The proposal sets out the main elements The Edinburgh European Council required in the drawing up of such statistics, decided that own resources would not exceed that is, the goods movements to be recorded, 1.27 percnnt of GDP by 1999. "... a small EC the statistical territory covered, the data to be budget of about two percent of Community and collected and the medium to be used. Under GDP is capable of sustaining economic the regulation, customs formalities would monetary union, including the discharge of the growing remain the main source for these statistics. and Community's external responsibilities," C:/EICNEWS/D-OO1EWP.mas/14. 01. 94ldos Page 3 the report says. The forecasts were developed information services. Despite the stalemate on under the chairmanship of Horst Reichenbach, further liberalisation, member states could director of the Commission's Community move forward on their own to smash Policies Economic Service. Other suitable monopolies, but Boetsch said Germany would candidates to finance the Community's not forge ahead without its European partners. increased budget would be a tax on carbon 'It is important that we move together in dioxide emissions and corporate taxes, the harmony with the European (Jnion,n he said. report finds. "Stable Money - Sound Financesn, published in 5. EMI MEETING the Commission's regular European Economy series. Europe enters a new financial era this week with the inaugural -- if largely symbolic -- meeting of the European Monetary Institute 4. TELECOMS.GERMANY (EMI), the forerunner of a future European Central Bank. EMI president Alexandre Germany will urge its European Union I:mfalussy will chair the EMI's first meeting in partners when it takes over the presidency in Frankfurt, the controversial site chosen for the July to abolish existing telephone network new agency after a long and bitter contest monopolies beginning in the year 2000, Postal between London and Germany's financial Minister Wolfgang Boetsch said on Wednesday. capital. But subsequent meetings are expected Germany would propose abolishing monopolies to be held in Basle, Switzerland, until the EMI on telephone lines two years after the finds permanent accommodation in Frankfurt. monopoly on basic telephone voice services That could take until the second half of this ends, which is set for 1998. "It is not possible year. At Ttresday's meeting, the EMI council, to reach made up of l:mfalussy and the governors of agreement on ending the network monopoly the European Union central banks, will choose simultaneously with voice services, but I a deputy to the president from among the consider a delay of two years to be ranks of the central bank chiefs. One European conceivable,' he said. He added, however, that monetary official said the meeting would further liberalisation was meeting some otherwise be a "symobolic show of support for resistance in the Union. 'There is some the EMI'S new location in Frankfurt". At a reluctance in the Council...particularly in the news conference after the meeting Lamfalussy, southern countries,n Boetsch said. "Things will a respected Belgian monetary expert, iS, essentially come to a halt during the Greek however, expected to map out his agenda for presidency." Liberalisation of the EMI. The creation of the EMI coincides telecommunications muld no longer be with the start of the second stage of European stopped, he said, but added that the next step, Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), during opening up monopolies on mailing services, which EU nations will strive for greater was unlikely to succeed because of opposition coordination of policies before the final in almost every EU country. The creation of a single currency. Telecommunications Council agreed in June to allow competition in basic telephone services The inauguration also comes only five months throughout the Union beginning in 1998, after the Exchange Rate Mechanism was all but except in Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. blown apart by speculators last summer. It will But it failed to agree on ending monopolies be up to I-amfalussy to help restore the over telecommunications infrastructure. credibility of the system. He also has the Ailowing competition to include ownership and delicate task of fostering coordination of operation of lines would open telephone monetary policies while not allowing the EMI markets to foreign competition. It would also to encroach on the independence of the allow power companies and railways to use individual central banks. The EMI has no their lines to transmit telephone and operational authority and the fiercely C:,EICNEWS/D-001EWP.magll4. 01. 94ldos Page 4 autonomous Bundesbank in particular has Commissioner Sir lron Brittan in Brussels stressed that it is the German central bank, and next week. 'She will express Tirrkey's not the EMI, which remains responsible for determination to realise the customs union and German monetary policies. I-amfalussy has stress the problem areas relating to the EU not been described as a broker among individual tulfilling some of its obligations under the EU countries, striving to avoid the sort of association agreement,i. Tirrkey, an associate tensions which forced cracks in the ERM in member since 1963, applied for full 1992and 1993. Those tensions largely reflected membership in L987, but was told to wait. differing views on the pace of European Ciller said on Wednesday she expected Tbrkey financial integration. Some nations had, for to be a tull member by 2000. Tigrel said example, refused to devalue their currencies, Tbrkey was looking for "reciprocity' from the even though they were overvalued in economic EU as the deadline for the customs union terms.