Luxembourg, 18/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - Over dinner in Luxembourg on Sunday evening, and again on Monday morning at a formal meeting of the Competitiveness Council, the European ministers of the economy and/or industry discussed the likely impact of commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the competitiveness of the European industry. During their discussions, the ministers took account of the detailed objectives for the period 2012-2020 and stressed industry's need for flexibility, according to Luxembourg minister for the economy Jeannot Krecké and Commissioner Günter Verheugen, stressing that an energy-efficiency policy must be the main tool at the service of sustainable development. Mr Verheugen also reiterated the need to get developing countries and the large countries which have not get done so to join in with the world's strategy to reduce the greenhouse effect. The Luxembourg Presidency is to send a summary of this discussion to the energy ministers.
The Competitiveness Council also: -approved the text of a new directive on unfair trade practices which should help to improve consumer protection. Denmark and Sweden voted against this text; -unanimously adopted its common position on the proposed directive setting minimum protection standards for workers exposed to optical rays; -decided, with the abstention of Germany and Italy, on the fifth modification to the directive on civil liability associated with driving a car. EUROPE will come back to this.