Brussels, 22/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - Jonathan Todd, spokesman on the internal market for European Commissioner, Frits Bolkestein, described the debate on competitiveness and internal market strategy on Monday at the Council, as "hot air". Commenting on the initiative for growth presented by France and Germany he declared, "it is ridiculous to always invent new initiatives wen we already have the Lisbon strategy. It is now a matter of putting into place what exists and pushing forward what has been proposed for adoption, such as the Community patent".
Italian Minister, Rocco Buttiglione, welcomed the Franco-German initiative, which went in the same direction as the Italian initiative. The Presidency will even be presenting practical proposals in October he indicated. He declared that, "We are finally beginning to prepare a strategy for growth.