Brussels, 21/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has called on the Competitiveness Council of 7 March formally to adopt a common position on the proposed directive on the patentability of computer-developed inventions, according to the spokesperson of Commissioner Charlie McCreevy. “We would like the Council to take position at last”, he said, adding that the Luxembourg Presidency hoped to include this dossier under item “A” of the agenda of this Council.
When asked about the decision of the Conference of the Presidents of the European Parliament to ask the Commission to resubmit the draft directive (EUROPE of 18 February, p.12), the spokesperson said that the Commission was taking seriously this request of the Parliament and co-legislator. “But this is a dossier which must move forward”, he warned, adding that “we hope the Council will come to a decision”. The Commission will respond to the EP's request, but the nature of its reaction will be up to it. A European diplomatic source said that the “unusual situation” created by this dossier demands just as unusual a response. “The Commission has to give the EP more of an answer than simply telling it that it wants the Council to adopt a common position”, indicated the source.