Barcelona, 18/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The "irreversible" liberalisation proclaimed by Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar on 17 March, after the European Council of Barcelona had been working for two days, takes the form of a series of commitments and meetings that the Heads of State and Government of the European Union fixed for the year 2010, including this year. The main promises made by the Fifteen, which entrusted the Commission with making a series of proposals, include that on which President Prodi has mainly insisted since introduction of single currency, aimed at strengthening the coordination of Member State economic policies. The main promises are:
2002
Approval of revision of directives on trans-European transport and energy networks.
Adoption of proposals on port services and rules for attributing slots.
Presentation of the Commission's Action Plan on clean technologies.
Adoption of the legislative package on public procurement (in June).
Modernisation of Community competition rules.
Approval of all proposals on financial markets (financial guarantees, market abuse, insurance brokers, financial conglomerates, prospectuses, pension funds, regulation on international accounting standards).
Approval of the regulation on cross-border electricity flows.
European Council of Seville (21 and 22 June)
Adoption of the EU's common position for the Summit of Johannesburg on sustainable development (in September).
Presentation of the new e-Europe Plan 2005.
Commission report on abolition of obstacles to the development of open communication and third generation platforms, and on the role of national identification systems and electronic authentication for the development of e-commerce and e-government.
Feasibility study on solutions for providing support for schools in order to create twinning through the internet.
2003
European Spring Council 2003 (under Greek Presidency)
From this date, Ministers responsible for SME policy will meet before each Spring Summit.
Review of sustainable development strategy and Johannesburg commitments.
New directive transposition objectives: 98.5% of all and 100% of directives whose transposition times have exceeded two years.
Proposals for strengthening the coordination of economic policies in the euro zone.
Effective introduction of the European health insurance card.
Development of the European Action Plan on Biotechnology.
2004
Member States will reach or maintain a budgetary situation close to balance or in surplus.
Free choice of gas and electricity suppliers for all European companies, including small and medium-sized companies; liberalisation of over 60% of the market (at his press conference, Mr Aznar considered that liberalisation will concern almost 70% of the market).
-Entry into force of the directive on the taxation of energy products.
Launching of European Single Sky.
2005
Completion of Action Plan in favour of financial services: fully integrated markets.
Aim of electricity connection between Member States equivalent to at least 10% of capacities (a target that Spain is particularly keen on reaching).
Development of narrow band networks.
2010
Member State spending on R&D should be close to 3% of GDP: two thirds of total effort will be by private sector.
"Work programme" of the educational systems, aiming at quality, universal access and open competition.
Aim of national Action Plans for significantly reducing, by 2010, the number of people in danger of poverty and social exclusion.
Development of nurseries for at least 90% of children aged between three and school age, and for at least 33% of children aged at least 3.
Gradual increase in the average retirement age in Europe, from 58 to 63, according to flexible systems.