Brussels, 09/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the Competitiveness Council, which will be examining in public (Friday, 10 December) possibilities for pushing forward with the European patent, Italy is attempting to oppose this French initiative, which has the support of at least ten other countries, requesting enhanced cooperation on the subject. Countries supporting the initiative include Germany and the United Kingdom, which has just joined it.
In a declaration, Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini said he was extremely concerned by the possibility of imposing a trilingual regime (German, English and French) on European patents, which Italy and Spain oppose. The declaration of the minister follows a letter sent yesterday to all EU member states by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his Spanish counterpart, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Frattini said: “We consider it unacceptable and divisive to use enhanced cooperation, which is even incompatible with the principle and functioning of the internal market”. The minister pointed out that enhanced cooperation, as stipulated in the Lisbon Treaty, “had been devised to help Europe make progress and not to circumvent customary and democratic Community mechanisms”.
Frattini considers that the Council this Friday should, “make a further effort to reach a compromise with the EU27 on a subject that is very politically important and on which Europe, in the common interest, cannot allow itself to be divided”.
Following previous ministerial discussions, the Belgian presidency concluded that it was not possible to reach the required unanimity on the linguistic regime for creating an EU patents system. According to well-informed sources, there are six procedural stages to follow for launching strengthened cooperation for protection provided by the European patent. (Gp/transl.fl)