Brussels, 08/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Ministers responsible for competitiveness matters will meet on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 March, under the chairmanship of Hungarian Secretary of State for Strategic Affairs Zoltán Cséfalvay. They are expected, among other things, to authorise the launch of enhanced cooperation among EU member states on creating a single patent. On Wednesday, they will adopt conclusions on the mid-term evaluation of the 7th research framework programme and, the following day, will debate the Single Market Act. Conclusions are also expected on the services directive.
Industry and research ministers will discuss the Annual Growth Survey and the European semester, in preparation for the spring European Council.
Evaluation of the Seventh framework programme for research. The Council will adopt conclusions on the interim evaluation of the EU's Seventh framework programme for research activities (2007-2013), including its risk-sharing finance facility.
In its conclusions, the Council is expected to agree to release a second tranche of €500 million for the Risk-Sharing Finance Facility (RSFF). The RSFF objective is to leverage around €10 billion of loans for research and innovation activities implemented by private companies or public institutions with a higher financial risk profile. The EU financial contribution is broken-down in two parts: a tranche of €500 million for the period 2007-2010; and a possible second tranche of €500 million for the period 2011-2013, subject to the interim evaluation.
Innovation. The Council will adopt conclusions on the preparations for a pilot European Innovation Partnership on active and healthy ageing. The overarching goal of the partnership is to increase the average life expectancy for Europeans by 2020, while ensuring that people can also live healthier and more active.
Single Market Act. The Council will hold a debate on the Single Market Act, a two-year plan (2011-2012) of 50 initiatives aimed at ensuring continuous optimisation of the internal market and contributing to the successful implementation of the EUROPE 2020 objectives on stimulating employment and economic growth.
Services directive. The Commission will present its communication Towards a better functioning single market for services and the Council will adopt conclusions. The Commission communication is based on the results of the “mutual evaluation” provided for in the services directive (analysis of national laws affecting service providers) and sets out a work programme to develop the single market in services and make it work better.
The ministers' discussions will focus more specifically on the initiatives that still have to be taken, in particular those which seek to remove obstacles which are still slowing the development of the services market. The Council conclusions will address the key findings of the results of the mutual evaluation process and consider the way forward, bearing in mind that the services falling under the scope of the services directive account for around 40% of the EU employment and gross domestic product.
Future EU patent system: enhanced cooperation. On 10 March, the Council is expected to authorise the launch of an enhanced cooperation among member states for the creation of a unitary patent title. Enhanced cooperation has been requested by 25 countries with the aim of establishing a single patent that will be valid across the territory of the participating member states. The European Parliament gave its consent for the use of this procedure on 15 February. All member states, with the exceptions of Italy and Spain, are supportive of the envisaged enhanced cooperation. The main obstacle to agreeing by unanimity on the creation of an EU patent is the number of languages in which the future unitary patent will be valid.
Raw materials and commodity markets. The Council will examine a recent Commission communication on raw materials and commodity markets with a view to adopting conclusions. (L.C./F.G./transl.rt)