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La Commission considre qu'une prsentation claire et dtaille du niveau et de la structure de ces frais est essentielle pour promouvoir la concurrence et, partant, la rduction des commissions prleves sur les conversions et les virements.  Elle examinera les premires informations qui lui ont t fournies par les fdrations bancaires europennes, mais elle impose aux banques la date butoir du 31 mars 1999 pour la publication d'informations complmentaires prsentant un tat exhaustif de l'volution, depuis l'introduction de l'euro, des frais bancaires facturs pour les changes de billets et les paiements transfrontaliers par chque, par virement et par carte dans la zone euro. En outre, la Commission a arrt des mesures concrtes pour que les citoyens puissent apporter des prcisions, et recevoir des informations en retour, sur des cas prsums de non-respect du cadre juridique relatif  l'euro (par exemple : application incorrecte du taux de conversion officiel) et de la recommandation sur les frais bancaires de conversion vers l'euro, notamment en ce qui concerne les exigences de transparence. La Commission utilisera les renseignements obtenus des banques et des citoyens pour faire le point de la situation et elle prsentera une communication sur l'avenir des systmes de paiement dans le march unique,  publier au printemps. <H3><A NAME="02">[02]</A> Commission adopts minimum income report</H3> The European Commission has adopted a report on the implementation of a 1992 Recommendation concerning sufficient resources and assistance in social protection systems.  The report covers the national minimum-income schemes currently in place in thirteen of the Member States (Italy and Greece are the exceptions).  The aim of the Report is to evaluate the role of these schemes within social protection systems as components in the fight against poverty, and to analyse their contribution to the social and economic integration of their recipients. <H3><A NAME="03">[03]</A> Commission clears the acquisition of the Coral group (UK) by Deutsche Bank AG (Germany)</H3> The European Commission has authorised the acquisition of the Coral group, a subsidiary of Ladbroke plc group whose main activity is to own and operate licensed betting outlets in the UK, by DB Investments (GB) Limited, a UK subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG (Germany), from Ladbroke Group plc (UK).  As Deutsche Bank and Coral do not have any overlapping activities, the Commission has cleared the transaction. <H3><A NAME="04">[04]</A> Commission authorises Cargill to acquire Continental Grain's Commodity Marketing Group division</H3> The European Commission has approved the acquisition by Cargill Inc., a US international marketer, processor and distributor of agricultural, financial and industrial products, of the Commodities Marketing Group, a division of US group Continental Grain which markets grains, oilseeds and derivative products. <H3><A NAME="05">[05]</A> La Commission donne son feu vert sous conditions  l'acquisition du groupe belge Cockerill Sambre par Usinor (France)</H3> La Commission europenne a approuv l'acquisition par Usinor du contrle du groupe Cockerill Sambre sous certaines conditions.  Aprs avoir examin le projet, la Commission avait considr que l'opration risquait de soulever en France des doutes srieux quant  sa compatibilit avec le March commun dans deux domaines,  savoir les profils en acier  destination du btiment et la distribution de produits plats au carbone.  Afin de dissiper ces doutes, Usinor s'est engag auprs de la Commission  cder des activits qui reprsentent, en terme de livraisons 1997, 70.000 tonnes de profils en acier et plus de 330.000 tonnes de produits plats au carbone distribus via le ngoce et les Centres de service acier. <H3><A NAME="06">[06]</A> Commission clears the acquisition of joint control of the Swedish furniture company Hilding Anders</H3> The European Commission has approved the acquisition of joint control by Nordic Capital Svenska AB of Hilding Anders Holding which is active in manufacturing of box-spring beds and related products.  Hilding Anders is mainly active in Sweden. <H3><A NAME="07">[07]</A> La Commission reprend les vols humanitaires vers la Guine-Bissau</H3> La Commission europenne,  travers son Office Humanitaire (ECHO), a dcid d'organiser des vols humanitaires d'urgence les 5 et 6 fvrier vers la Guine-Bissau, o la situation s'est considrablement dgrade suite  la reprise violente des combats du 30 janvier au 3 fvrier, entre les forces loyalistes soutenant le Prsident Vieira et les forces de la Junte militaire auto-proclame dirige par le Gnral Man.  Les tirs  l'arme lourde ont provoqu de trs gros dgts tant sur le plan humain que matriel.  Plusieurs dizaines de morts ont t dnombrs. Environ 500 blesss ont t vacus vers les hpitaux de Bissau et de Canchungo.  Au moins 30 blesss hospitaliss seraient dcds faute de soins suffisants. Par ailleurs, une pidmie de mningite s'est dclare dans le sud de la rgion de Oo,  environ 50 km de la capitale.  16 cas ont t rpertoris avec une lthalit de 50%.  Les risques de propagation  grande chelle sont trs forts. Les vols qui seront assurs par ECHO-Flight, le dispositif humanitaire arien de la Commission, permettront le transport de 20.000 doses de vaccins et du matriel de vaccination ncessaire pour stopper l'pidmie de mningite ainsi que de prs de 1.5 tonne de matriel chirurgical pour les hpitaux de Bissau et Canchungo. Sur place, les organisations humanitaires CICR, VIDA, MSF-E et Comunit Internazionale Volontari Laici-Cuneo (LVIA), assureront la distribution de l'aide. La Commission a dj octroy 2.85 millions d'euros d'aide humanitaire en faveur de la Guine-Bissau, depuis le dbut du conflit en juin 1998. <P><H4>MIDDAY EXPRESS</H4> <HR> <H4>From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <A HREF="http://europa.eu.int/">http://europa.eu.int/</A><BR> &copy; ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996</H4> <HR> <H5><A HREF="/news/europe/midex/">Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings</A> Directory - <A HREF="99-02-04.midex.html">Previous Article</A> - <A HREF="99-02-08.midex.html">Next Article</A></H5>   </TD>									<!-- END CENTRAL PAGE -->  </TR> </TABLE> <TABLE WIDTH="640" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0">			<!-- START BOTTOM -->  <TR>   <TD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="150" BGCOLOR="#FFCC66"><IMG SRC="/images/blank.gif" WIDTH="4" HEIGHT="1"></TD>   <TD VALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH="10"><IMG SRC="/images/arch_yellow_bottom.gif" WIDTH="10" HEIGHT="11"></TD>   <TD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="480"><IMG SRC="/images/blank.gif" WIDTH="4" HEIGHT="1"></TD>  </TR>  <TR>   <TD VALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH="150" BGCOLOR="#FFCC66"><IMG SRC="/images/arch_yellow_bottom_left.gif" WIDTH="16" HEIGHT="13"></TD>   <TD VALIGN=TOP ALIGN=RIGHT WIDTH="470" COLSPAN="2" BGCOLOR="#FFCC66"><A HREF="#top"><IMG SRC="/images/top.gif" ALT="Back to Top" BORDER="0" WIDTH="43" HEIGHT="15"></A></TD>  </TR> </TABLE>											<!-- END BOTTOM -->  <FONT>   <A HREF="/disclaimers/disclaim.html">Copyright</A>  1995-2002 <A HREF="http://www.hri.org/">HR-Net</A> (Hellenic Resources Network). 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