Council notes linguistic differences on future Community patent and takes stock of situation regarding several sensitive issues

Brussels, 29/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The first Internal Market/Consumers Council ended in Brussels on Thursday evening with a positive report, both for the Internal Market side chaired by French Minister Pierre Moscovici (European Affairs) and for the Consumers side chaired by Marylise Lebranchu (SME, trade, crafts, consumption). In addition to the debate, open to the public, on the services of general interest (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.9), the ministers took stock of the situation with Commissioners David Byrne (Health/Consumers) and Frits Bolkestein (Internal Market), on several sensitive issues.

The results of the session are:

• Patents. There are still clear differences between the Fifteen on the proposal to create a Community patent. "There is a very clear political will to create such a patent, and it is important that we should do so fast", said Pierre Moscovici, recalling that the European Councils of Lisbon and Feira hoped to have a Community patent for end 2001. Several delegations, including Spain, are opposed to the linguistic regime foreseen by the Commission, which would reduce the working languages to German, English and French. A majority of Member States, including Germany, do not seem ready to accept the establishment of a new centralised Community jurisdiction, to settle disputes linked to counterfeiting and the validity of Community patents. "The governmental conference is a golden opportunity for this", insisted Commissioner Frits Bolkestein. Several States consider, however, that this project is premature and prefer to keep to national systems for dispute settlement.
• Economic reform process in Cardiff. The Council noted the report by the Presidency and called on the Permanent Representatives to establish a contribution on the internal market elements of the broad economic policy guidelines before end January 2001.
• Copyright and related rights in the information society. The Council adopted its common position with a view to definitive adoption of the directive on which it had already reached a political agreement during its session of 8 June. This common position, adopted unanimously with abstention by Luxembourg, will be forwarded to the European Parliament for its second reading.

During the final press conference, Marylise Lebranchu welcomed the round the table discussion on the introduction of single currency which allowed ministers to insist on aspects such as greater awareness of the most vulnerable consumers and the aid to be given to SMEs, which should have to face up to greater demand in the very near future. The ministers also expressed their concern for banking costs to be borne by individuals. These costs vary from 6% to 26%. Ministers urged for greater transparency.

Furthermore, speaking of the first exchange of views on the new food health rules proposed by the Commission, the minister noted the unanimous wish that "progress should be made in parallel regarding traceability and the readability of consumer information, taking into account the specific nature of the means of production of different countries in order to maintain diversity, in the respect of hygiene and gastronomy". It also stressed the importance that the Council attaches to keeping to the 2002 objective for the creation of the European Food Authority, and the impatience with which it awaits detailed proposals from the Commission. Ms Lebranchu said, moreover, that she was delighted the ministers had been able to discuss the Green Paper on environmental problems linked to the use of PVC, a "dossier whose economic aspects must be taken duly into account in order to reconcile safety with realism". Speaking of the legislative proposal aimed at banning certain phtalates in soft PVC toys that children under the age of three may put in their mouths, Ms Lebranchu explained that several delegations hoped there would be a ban on all phtalates, but the majority preferred to await the results of scientific studies in progress, expected for January.