15/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - The press office of the president of the Competitiveness Council, Rocco Buttiglione, points out that the minister did not feel the Council had reached no concrete conclusions to date, but that there is a need for hard work if the Council's work is to be given consistency, will full implementation of the decisions of the Seville Summit. The spokesman for the president of the Employment and Social Policy Council, Roberto Maroni, stresses that, if he broke off the press conference held after the informal session in Varese (see yesterday's bulletin page 15), it was because he did not intend to answer questions on internal Italian issues. The Council had tackled European issues, and that is what he wished to speak about at the press conference. His departure was in no way motivated by any disagreement with European Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, which whom the Presidency has worked in perfect harmony.