Brussels, 19/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Stockholm European Council, next Friday and Saturday, for which this Monday's General Affairs Council completed the preparation (see other story), is the first follow up summit for the Lisbon European Council which, exactly one year ago, had, in resorting to the new "open coordination method", launched a strategy aiming to make the European Union, by 2010, the most competitive economy in the world, with an average employment rate as close as possible to 70%. During this first quarter for the Swedish Presidency, several EU Council formations contributed towards the preparation of the summit, but some of these Councils brought out divergences between the Member States over issues that the Stockholm European Council should in principal simply enshrine, and over which it will possibly decide next week (when keeping itself to providing impetus). Among these issues, let us mainly cite: the regulation of financial markets, Lamfalussy report for which a special Council is called in Stockholm on Thursday evening (see EUROPE of 12/13 March, p.7, for Ecofin Council deliberations, and of 16 March, p.14, for debate in European Parliament); - the Community patent (see EUROPE of 14 March, p.8, concerning the inability of the Internal Market Council to agree over the conditions for the inclusion of the future patent in the statute of the Munich European Patent Office); - the European satellite navigation project, Galileo (see EUROPE of 12/13 March, p.8, concerning the divergences in the Ecofin Council over its financing, and of 17 March, p.9). Another theme over which the Heads of State and Government could possible decide is that of the European single sky project, blocked by the controversy between London and Madrid over the Gibraltar airport (see EUROPE of 7 March, page 7 and of 8 March, p.8, concerning the decision by Commissioner Loyola de Palacio to postpone the presentation of her Communication).
The Stockholm European Council should verify the progress or failings noted in the wide ranging work launched in Lisbon, and the Swedish Presidency, while ensuring, both, not to increase the burden or dilute the process, intends to introduce a few new areas emphasis, for example by insisting on the contribution of the most advanced technologies, such as biotechnology, which may contribute to the economic dynamism of Europe, or over the consequences to be drawn from the demographic ageing of the continent (this will be a case of seeing which direction the debate will go in, whether it will concentrate if the budgetary consequences of these trends, notably for pensioned citizens, or extend to the social and society aspects of this phenomenon).
As is usual, a large number of reports from the various Councils will be on the table before the Heads of State and Government, in Stockholm, including the Commission summary document (see EUROPE of 8 February, p.6), and other Commission documents, such as, in particular: - its Communication on the acceleration of the liberalisation of gas and electricity markets (see EUROPE of 14 March, p.7); - the interim report on the improvement and simplification of the regulatory environment; - the Communications on eEurope and "Europe Go Digital" for the attention of SMEs (see EUROPE of 15 March, p.14); - the Communication on a strategy for the internal market for services; - its scoreboard on the implementation of the Social Agenda (see EUROPE of 26/27 February, p.13).
As for the contributions made by the various Council, formal and informal, let us recall that:
(1) the Ecofin Council approved the following documents: - report on key issues of Broad Economic Policy Guidelines for 2001; - report by the Economic and Social Committee on the structural reforms 2001; - contribution of State finances to growth and employment (from the European Commission Communication on 21 December 2000); - shortened list of structural indicators; - report by the European Investment Bank on the Innovation 2000 initiative - one year after.
(2) The Social Affairs and Employment Council adopted in particular: - conclusions, following its meeting in March (see EUROPE of 8 March, p.15); - a preliminary study on the viability of pensions in the long-term (see EUROPE of 5/6 March, p.12).
(3) the Internal Market/Consumers and Tourism Council notably adopted: - a contribution on the preparation of the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines; - conclusions on the Cardiff economic reform process (see EUROPE of 17 March, p.10).
(4) the Education and Youth Council adopted a report on concrete objectives for the education and training systems.
Let us also recall that the informal "Research" Council had, in Uppsala, a first exchange of views concerning the proposed 6th framework research and development programme, another priority for Lisbon (see EUROPE of 5/6 March, p.10).
As for the numerous other contributions to the Stockholm Summit, let us cite in particular those: - of the European employers, adopted by UNICE (EUROPE of 14 March, p.15); - the trade unions, outlined by the ETUC (see EUROPE of 22 February, p.15, and 3 March, p.16).