Brussels, 13/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - During a press conference on Wednesday in Brussels, the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, presented what he called his "realistic aims" for the European Council of Barcelona. These priorities, five in all, were presented by Mr Prodi in the following order:
1) true opening of the energy market. This will be carried out in two stages, explained Romano Prodi. He insisted on the need to fix a date for the provision of energy to companies and professional users. He also insisted, but without fixing a date, on a formal commitment by the Fifteen in favour of total market opening. The Commission President repeated on several occasions that households would not be concerned initially ("it is not a question of seeking total agreement before the French elections", said Mr Prodi answering a question put to him by a journalist). He recalled that opening professional markets up to competition would account for around 60% of the energy market in the EU. Mr Prodi felt that, with the interconnection of networks, this measure is indispensable and that it will considerably reduce the cost of energy. The failure to come to a decision would, on the other hand, cost EUR 15 billion per year, he added.
2) financial Services. Implementation of the action plan must be guaranteed in order to allow full integration of the financial markets in 2005. Mr Prodi said that, by putting an end to the current compartmentalisation of the markets, it would be possible to gain a further 0.5% in growth.
3) labour markets. Recalling the objective of creating 20 million new jobs by 2010, Mr. Prodi said that they had to "ensure that paid employment is more interesting that unemployment benefits and pensions"
4) implementing the objectives and measures already approved. New measures need not necessarily be sought, Prodi explained, considering that the Heads of State and Government should rather ensure that commitments already made were put into practice by their ministers. He once more regretted the lack of progress over Galileo and the Community patent, and called on the Fifteen to make a firm commitment to conclude work on the two issues by the end of the Spanish Presidency. Mr. Prodi also stressed that only six Member states respected the goal of transposing 98.5% of the decisions adopted in Stockholm in March 2002.
5) a more coherent and transparent economic policy. "We already have the instruments for co-ordinating these policies but we must make them more effective", said Prodi, pleading in favour of a set of common rules and standards applicable to national budgetary policies.