Brussels, 05/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The meeting between UNICE President (Europe's business community) Georges Jacobs, with President of the European Council, José Maria Aznar, on 6 February, as well as Mr Aznar's letter to the European business community (see EUROPE 22 February page 15) demonstrates how important European business leaders consider the Barcelona Summit. The Summit is regarded as "essential" and which must, according to the new Secretary General of UNICE, Mr de Buck, focus on a reassessment of the Lisbon Process in order for the objectives set in March 2000 to be achieved. He also calls on action to be taken in order to guarantee Europe's competitiveness. UNICE has published a document entitled "European Business says: Barcelona must revitalise the Lisbon process" in which it sets out its hopes for Barcelona. The document includes five main priorities: 1) Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Member States must invest in research and development, recognise Europe's potential in areas of science and high technology and provide a legislative environment in which this can flourish. This includes facilitating the mobility of highly skilled workers, providing European business with a competitive Community patent essential for innovation and encourage the development of the biotechnology sector; 2) Essential Infrastructure for the Internal Market: UNICE is calling on the Barcelona Summit to push for greater liberalisation of the energy, transport, post and telecommunications markets. It is also asking Member States to transpose, without any further delay, the E-Commerce Directive, and highlights the importance of the role SMEs could play in the public markets; 3) Flexible Labour Markets: Member States will be called on at Barcelona to strengthen co-operation in the fields of education and life-long learning strategies, which will mean: stressing the role of entrepreneurship in job creation and the availability of qualified and experienced workers in the labour market; 4) Financial Services: Member States are called on the increase their efforts to push Financial Action Plan measures through in order to open up their markets, notably in the area of pension funds; 5- Sustainable Development: UNICE is stressing the need for a balance between the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. (The document is available in English on the following web-site http: //http://www.unice.org ).