Brussels, 18/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - Through its President, Hans-Gert Pöttering, the European Parliament's EPP-ED group welcomed the outcome of the Barcelona Summit, particularly the liberalisation of 60% of the energy market, the integration of financial services and the adoption of the Commission's proposals for the labour market which mark "significant progress". The adoption of the Galileo programme and the confirmation of the Stability Pact targets, "including cutting budget deficits" were also important areas of progress. The President of the Christian Democrat group regretted, however, that the Summit had not decided to liberalise the energy market for private households and felt this should be remedied "as quickly as possible". Mr Pöttering expressed his satisfaction with the Summit Conclusions on the Middle-East, stressing that the basis of any settlement should be the recognition of a Palestinian state and the guarantee of Israel's future in safe borders. He welcomed the decision to set up a working group on reforming the Council of Ministers and to take decisions in this connection at the Seville Summit. He said, however, that the Summit should be preceded by inter-institutional consultations particularly with the European Parliament.