do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
Euro exchange rates
Date: 2008-11-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: euro, exchange rate

C 298/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

21.11.2008

IV

(Notices)

NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS AND
BODIES

COMMISSION

Euro exchange rates (1)

20 November 2008

(2008/C 298/02)

1 euro =

Currency

Exchange rate

Currency

Exchange rate

USD

JPY

DKK

GBP

SEK

CHF

ISK

NOK

BGN

CZK

EEK

HUF

LTL

LVL

PLN

RON

SKK

US dollar

Japanese yen

Danish krone

Pound sterling

Swedish krona

Swiss franc

Iceland króna

Norwegian krone

Bulgarian lev

Czech koruna

Estonian kroon

Hungarian forint

Lithuanian litas

Latvian lats

Polish zloty

Romanian leu

Slovak koruna

1,2542

TRY

Turkish lira

119,87

AUD Australian dollar

7,4524

0,8421

10,2395

1,529

CAD

HKD

NZD

SGD

Canadian dollar

Hong Kong dollar

New Zealand dollar

Singapore dollar

2,1354

1,9927

1,5814

9,7202

2,3209

1,9176

245

KRW South Korean won

1 892,24

8,87

1,9558

25,635

15,6466

ZAR

CNY

HRK

IDR

South African rand

Chinese yuan renminbi

Croatian kuna

Indonesian rupiah

269,94

MYR Malaysian ringgit

3,4528

0,7093

3,85

3,817

PHP

RUB

THB

BRL

Philippine peso

Russian rouble

Thai baht

Brazilian real

30,38

MXN Mexican peso

13,2315

8,5718

7,135

15 363,95

4,5446

62,76

34,5555

44,079

3,0198

16,9003

(1) Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.
Political and Security Committee Decision BiH/14/2008 of 21 November 2008 on the appointment of an EU Force Commander for the European Union military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Date: 2008-11-21
Institutions: Political and Security Committee
Subjects: Bosnia and Herzegovina, appointment of staff, forces abroad, military intervention, military personnel, the EU's international role

L 319/80

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

29.11.2008

POLITICAL AND SECURITY COMMITTEE DECISION BiH/14/2008

of 21 November 2008

on the appointment of an EU Force Commander for the European Union military operation in
Bosnia and Herzegovina

(2008/895/CFSP)

European Community, Denmark does not participate in
the elaboration and implementation of decisions and
actions of the European Union which have defence impli­
cations.

The Copenhagen European Council adopted on 12 and
13 December 2002 a Declaration stating that the ‘Berlin
plus’ arrangements and the implementation thereof will
apply only to those EU Member States which are also
either NATO members or parties to the ‘Partnership for
Peace’, and which have consequently concluded bilateral
security agreements with NATO,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Major General Stefano CASTAGNOTTO is hereby appointed EU
Force Commander for the European Union military operation in
Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Article 2

This Decision shall take effect on 4 December 2008.

Done at Brussels, 21 November 2008.

For the Political and Security Committee
The Chairperson

C. ROGER

THE POLITICAL AND SECURITY COMMITTEE,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in
particular the third subparagraph of Article 25 thereof,

Joint Action 2004/570/CFSP of
Having regard to Council
12 July 2004 on the European Union military operation in
Bosnia and Herzegovina (1), and in particular Article 6 thereof,

(6)

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Pursuant to Article 6 of Joint Action 2004/570/CFSP the
Council authorised the Political and Security Committee
(PSC) to take further decisions on the appointment of the
EU Force Commander.

the PSC adopted Decision
On 25 September 2007,
BiH/11/2007 (2)
Ignacio
MARTÍN VILLALAÍN as EU Force Commander for the
European Union military operation in Bosnia and Herze­
govina.

appointing Major General

The EU Operation Commander has recommended the
appointment of Major General Stefano CASTAGNOTTO
as the new EU Force Commander for the European
Union military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The EU Military Committee has supported the recom­
mendation.

In conformity with Article 6 of the Protocol on the
position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on
European Union and to the Treaty establishing the

(1) OJ L 252, 28.7.2004, p. 10.
(2) OJ L 288, 6.11.2007, p. 60.
Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case COMP/M.5306 — Metso Power/Wärtsilä Finland/JV) Text with EEA relevance
Date: 2008-11-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: boiler, economic concentration, electric machinery, electrical energy, energy production, exchange of information, merger control

21.11.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 298/1

II

(Information)

INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES

COMMISSION

Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case COMP/M.5306 — Metso Power/Wärtsilä Finland/JV)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/C 298/01)

On 14 November 2008, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to
declare it compatible with the common market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regu-
lation (EC) No 139/2004. The full text of the decision is available only in English and will be made public
after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

— from the Europa competition website (http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/mergers/cases/). This
website provides various facilities to help locate individual merger decisions, including company, case
number, date and sectoral indexes,

— in electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32008M5306. EUR-Lex is the

on-line access to European law (http://eur-lex.europa.eu).
Case C-507/08: Action brought on 21 November 2008 — Commission of the European Communities v Slovak Republic
Date: 2008-11-21
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Slovakia, State aid, action for failure to fulfil an obligation, control of State aid, fine








C_2009102EN.01000901.xml










1.5.2009   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 102/9





Action brought on 21 November 2008 — Commission of the European Communities v Slovak Republic
(Case C-507/08)
2009/C 102/12
Language of the case: Slovak

Parties


Applicant: Commission of the European Communities (represented by: C. Giolito, J. Javorský, K. Walkerová, acting as Agents)

Defendant: Slovak Republic

Form of order sought







—


declare that the Slovak Republic, by failing to execute the Commission Decision of 7 June 2006 on State Aid No C 25/2005 (ex NN 21/2005) implemented by the Slovak Republic for Frucona Košice, a.s. (notified under C(2006) 2082) (1) has failed to fulfil its obligations under the fourth paragraph of Article 249 of the EC Treaty and Article 2 of that decision;










—


order Slovak Republic to pay the costs.





Pleas in law and main arguments

In its decision of 7 June 2006 on State Aid No C 25/2005 (ex NN 21/2005) implemented by the Slovak Republic for Frucona Košice, a.s., the Commission found that the measures which the Slovak Republic implemented for Frucona Košice, a.s. constituted State aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) EC and that that aid was incompatible with the common market. It also directed the Slovak Republic to take all necessary measures to recover from the beneficiary the unlawfully granted aid.
To date, the aid awarded to Frucona has not been recovered.
State aid was granted to Frucona in the form of a waiver of a tax debt confirmed by the court in the context of an arrangement procedure. The Slovak Republic applied to recover the unlawfully granted aid in legal proceedings. The first instance court dismissed the action inter alia because Frucona’s obligation to pay its debt to the tax authorities arose ex lege. The appeal court upheld the judgment of the first instance court inter alia because it was not possible to review the order concerning the arrangement, because, as res judicata, it must be respected by all bodies, including the appeal court and, also, because the Commission in the decision failed to respect the provisions of national law governing conflicts between bankruptcy and enforcement proceedings.
The judgments of both courts prevent the immediate and effective execution of the Commission decision.
It is not sufficient that the Slovak Republic made use of all means at its disposal. The application of those means must result in the immediate and effective enforcement of the decision, failing which the Slovak Republic must be considered as having failed to fulfil its obligations. A Member State fails to fulfil its obligation to recover if the steps taken by that Member State have no impact on the actual recovery of those amounts.


(1)  OJ L 112, 30.4.2007, p. 14.
2008/882/EC: Commission Decision of 21 November 2008 amending Decision 2003/63/EC authorising Member States to provide for temporary derogations from Council Directive 2000/29/EC in respect of potatoes, other than potatoes intended for planting, originating in certain provinces of Cuba (notified under document number C(2008) 6950)
Date: 2008-11-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Cuba, derogation from EU law, health control, import restriction, originating product, plant health legislation, potato

L 316/12

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

26.11.2008

(Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory)

II

DECISIONS

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 21 November 2008

amending Decision 2003/63/EC authorising Member States to provide for temporary derogations
from Council Directive 2000/29/EC in respect of potatoes, other than potatoes intended for
planting, originating in certain provinces of Cuba

(notified under document number C(2008) 6950)

(2008/882/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000
on protective measures against
the introduction into the
Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products
their spread within the Community (1), and in
and against
particular Article 15(1) thereof,

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

Whereas:

The United Kingdom has asked for an extension of that
derogation.

situation

The
unchanged
continue to apply.

and

justifying
the

that
derogation

derogation
should

remains
therefore

Decision 2003/63/EC should,
accordingly.

therefore, be amended

The measures provided for
accordance with
Committee on Plant Health,

the

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

of

opinion

(1)

(2)

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Pursuant to Directive 2000/29/EC, potatoes, other than
potatoes intended for planting, originating in Cuba may
not be introduced into the Community. However, that
Directive permits derogations from that rule provided
there is no risk of spreading harmful organisms.

Article 3 of Decision 2003/63/EC is replaced by the following:

Article 1

‘Article 3

Commission Decision 2003/63/EC (2), provides for a
derogation for the importation of potatoes, other than
potatoes intended for planting, originating in certain
provinces of Cuba, subject to specific conditions.

Article 1 shall apply to potatoes, other
intended for planting,
Community, in the periods:

that

are

than potatoes
introduced into the

(1) OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 24, 29.1.2003, p. 11.

(i) between 1 January and 31 May 2009;

26.11.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 316/13

(ii) between 1 January and 31 May 2010;

(iii) between 1 January and 31 May 2011.’

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 21 November 2008.

For the Commission

Androulla VASSILIOU
Member of the Commission
Council Decision 2008/884/CFSP of 21 November 2008 implementing Joint Action 2007/369/CFSP on the establishment of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL AFGHANISTAN)
Date: 2008-11-21
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Afghanistan, peacekeeping, police cooperation, the EU's international role

26.11.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 316/21

III

(Acts adopted under the EU Treaty)

ACTS ADOPTED UNDER TITLE V OF THE EU TREATY

COUNCIL DECISION 2008/884/CFSP

of 21 November 2008

implementing Joint Action 2007/369/CFSP on the establishment of the European Union Police
Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL AFGHANISTAN)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Having regard to Joint Action 2007/369/CFSP on the estab­
lishment of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan
(EUPOL AFGHANISTAN), and in particular Article 13(2) thereof,
in conjunction with the second indent of the first subparagraph
of Article 23(2) of the Treaty on European Union,

The financial reference amount intended to cover the expen­
diture related to EUPOL AFGHANISTAN for the period from
1 December 2008 until 30 November 2009 shall be
EUR 64 000 000.

Article 1

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

On 30 May 2007, the Council adopted Joint Action
2007/369/CFSP (1) for a period of three years. The oper­
ational phase of EUPOL AFGHANISTAN began on 15 June
2007.

It is up to the Council to adopt the financial reference
amount
intended to cover the expenditure related to
EUPOL AFGHANISTAN for the period from 1 December
2008 until 30 November 2009,

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Article 3

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the
European Union.

Done at Brussels, 21 November 2008.

For the Council
The President

E. WOERTH

(1) OJ L 139, 31.5.2007, p. 33.
Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.5363 — Santander/Bradford & Bingley Assets) Text with EEA relevance
Date: 2008-11-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: bank, economic concentration, exchange of information, financial institution, financial market, merger control

21.11.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 298/9

PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPETITION
POLICY

COMMISSION

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.5363 — Santander/Bradford & Bingley Assets)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/C 298/05)

1.
On 12 November 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant
to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Abbey National plc
(‘Abbey’, United Kingdom), controlled by the undertaking Banco Santander SA (‘Santander’, Spain), acquires
within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of part of Bradford & Bingley plc
(‘Bradford & Bingley Assets’, United Kingdom) by way of purchase of assets.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

— for Abbey: personal

loans, credit cards,
investments and pensions. Abbey is also active in corporate banking services, financial

financial services including current and savings accounts,

mortgages,
market services and distributes third-party insurance products,

— for Santander: parent company of an international group of banking and financial companies operating

in the UK, Spain and some other European countries, as well as in Latin America,

— for Bradford & Bingley Assets: retail banking (savings and mortgage lending).

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the

3.
scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed

4.
operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication.
Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax ((32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44) or by post, under
reference number COMP/M.5363 — Santander/Bradford & Bingley Assets, to the following address:

European Commission
Directorate-General for Competition
Merger Registry
J-70
B-1049 Brussels

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.