Brussels, 30/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - Speaking before the press on Tuesday, the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, said that, during the dinner on Monday evening with Chancellor Schröder, they had tackled a "vast range of problems, without any substantive disagreement, at any moment". He made it clear that the concern expressed by industry, not only German but also European industry, had been a "dominant and strong problem" in the discussion (Ed.: attended by Commissioners Monti, Bolkestein, Wallström and Liikanen). After this exchange, which gave "mutual enrichment", Mr Prodi said he was "absolutely in agreement" with the German Chancellor in noting that the strength of its industry is an essential foundation for the European economy. Personally, he said, it is easy for him to agree with this statement of fact as he has always thought that what one calls the "traditional" economy could not be replaced by the "new economy" which, on the other hand, may "flank" it. Mr Prodi he was "pleased that the real economy had swept certain ideas away". He said talks covered the environment, the chemicals sector and automobile distribution and that this was "without irreconcilable differences".
In response to remarks by Gerhard Schröder, on Monday evening, whereby the success of Le Pen in France is also due to the "gulf" created between political decision-makers and citizens for whom change, mainly at European level, is going too fast, Mr Prodi asked: "Is the European Commission going too fast? I think that only a serious policy, based on the Lisbon Strategy, may give security to our people (…). Here, in this press room, I have often been reproached for the slowness of the Commission". (See yesterday's EUROPE, p.14), regarding Mr Schröder's wish for industrial policy to be an element of the Lisbon Strategy). This exchange of views was conducted "in the alarming context of elections in France", stressed Gerhard Schröder for his part, after the dinner with Commissioners.
Speaking to the press, the European Commission's spokesman, Jonathan Faull, confirmed that discussions had largely covered the different aspects of industrial policy in Europe and the possible impact of the policy conducted by the Commission on European industry. It was not a matter of "ordering a paper", he replied to one journalist who wished to know whether the German Chancellor had solicited a Commission communication on industrial policy, but rather of seeing how to "apprehend the prospects on industry in Europe in the years to come, especially with a view to enlargement". Discussion was "friendly and serious", he stressed. He recalled that the European Commission has meetings with the Member States at every level, and that this time "it was at a very high level", which is not exceptional either.
Spokesman for Commissioner Monti, Michael Tcherny, made it clear that the Commission's proposals on automobile distribution had been the only theme evoked with regards competition during the dinner on Monday. He said the Chancellor had not, for example, raised the problem of State aid or mergers. The discussion was "constructive for both parties", said Mr Tcherny, recalling that the Commission launched, after presenting its proposal in February, a consultation process that mainly allowed lobbies and the Parliament to express their views (see EUROPE of 4/5 February, p.9, and 6 February, p.9). The Commission is seeking to taking different opinions into account but "on objectives and principles (of its proposal) there will certainly be no change", he added. On Monday evening, Chancellor Schröder expressed the hope of again meeting Commissioner Monti.
As far as the follow-up to this meeting is concerned, EUROPE has reason to believe that Commissioners Margot Wallström and Erkki Liikanen will meet Walter Steinmeier, Minister at the Federal Chancellery. The exchange with the Environment Commissioner mainly covered the White Paper on Chemical Products presented by the Commission in February 2001 (but also climate change, and in particular the problem of the trade in emission rights). Ms Wallström reportedly pointed out that she understood and respected the concerns of the Germany industry in a period of transition and uncertainty as at present, while noting that German industry had been broadly consulted on this paper, and that the legislative process was still in progress. The White Paper mainly aimed to fill the enormous deficit in knowledge on chemical substances, explained Ms Wallström, considering that this is in the interest of a sustainable chemicals industry.