Brussels, 01/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Internal Market Council adopted, on Friday, conclusions on the economic reforms that make up its contribution to the Barcelona Summit. Carefully avoiding settlement, before the Heads of State, of the thorniest issues, especially the timetable for liberalisation in the energy and transport sector, these conclusions essentially reflect the status quo obtained so far. Thus, any reference to the advantages of companies in a monopoly situation on their national market, especially recommended by Germany, Finland, Sweden and Austria, was deleted from the paragraph devoted to modernisation of competition rules. The chapters devoted to the opening up to competition of the public services and network industries simply recall that "it is necessary, if one wants the single market to work more effectively in the key sectors, to renew the commitment to implement the reforms decided in Lisbon, taking duly into account the Council's conclusions on the services of general interest adopted on 26 November" and that "it would be appropriate to seek, as a priority, to reach an agreement on the basis of proposals concerning the opening and pursuit of development on the energy markets, bearing in mind the requirement relating to meeting consumers' needs and to transparency of the market thanks to appropriate regulatory instruments, with a view to implementing the aim of market opening in these sectors".
British Secretary of State Melanie Johnson regretted the lack of ambition in the text whose wording had been fixed before the Council meeting. In her view, during a period of economic slowdown, a clearer commitment in the pursuit of the reform process would have been necessary. German Secretary of State Alexander Müller also regretted the weakness of the texts devoted to energy. French Deputy Representative Philippe Etienne recalled that France is in favour of "a realistic and controlled opening" of the energy markets to competition.
One of the only noteworthy moves forward resulting from this compulsory exercise is the link made by ministers between the need to "actively pursue" the work on the European Single Sky and the "importance of the Community's accession to Eurocontrol". Ministers also confirmed the priority granted to improving the regulatory environment, inviting the "Commission to present its plan of action as soon as possible during the first half of 2002, bearing in mind, above all, the report by the Mandelkern group". Sweden, which had placed this dossier among its priorities during its Presidency, introduced the mention that the "Council awaits the report on the question of exhaustion of trade mark rights". One diplomat from a State somewhat hostile to this legislation stresses, however, that the Commission had pointed out to the Parliament last October that it would conduct a new study if "new elements" came to light. Finally, despite German reticence, the conclusions indicate that the Council awaits with great interest the proposal soon to be formulated by the Commission regarding public procurement offers. We recall that Commissioner Bolkestein has said that these proposals would be presented in April or May (see EUROPE of 28 February, p.14).