Brussels, 09/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Competitiveness Council, to take place in Brussels on 10 May under the chairmanship of the Luxembourg minister for the economy, Jeannot Krecké, will deal mainly with two points which are closely linked to the relaunch of the Lisbon Strategy:
1) The integrated guidelines for growth and employment, adopted by the Commission on 12 April (EUROPE 8926), which encompass the broad economic policy guidelines (BEPGs) and the guidelines for employment, and which are to be adopted formally by the forthcoming Ecofin and Social Affairs/Employment Councils, and then enshrined by the European Council of June. On the basis of a questionnaire put together by the Presidency, the Council will hold an exploratory debate on the Commission's recommendations on the micro-economic aspects of the guidelines for employment: development of the internal market, opening up of the markets, creation of a more favourable environment for enterprise (especially SMEs), encouraging entrepreneurship, boosting investment in research and development, boosting innovation and the adoption of new information and communication technologies. The Presidency proposes to structure the debate around the following three questions: is the micro-economic plank of the employment guidelines an adequate basis to create national reform programmes? -should the employment guidelines take greater account of the structural changes the EU must implement to face the challenge of globalisation? -How does the Council see its role in the relaunch of the Lisbon Strategy in relation to national reform programmes?
2) The Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP)- over 4 billion EUR for the period 2007-2013- adopted by the Commission on 7 April (EUROPE 8923) which, alongside its new elements, also regroups specific existing programmes but also brings in new actions, which aim to improve the capacity of businesses in the EU to innovate and to develop the regulatory framework applicable to businesses, especially SMEs. The three specific programmes covered by the CIP are: the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, the ICT Policy Support Programme and the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme. The Presidency proposes to look at the following three questions: does the CIP proposal fulfil the requests made by the European Council in its March conclusions? -do the ministers support the overall structure of the CIP, with its division into three specific areas, as a way of optimising synergy? -are the objectives, areas for action and implementation instruments of the CIP appropriate?
The Council will also hear information from the Commission on the situation of the European textile industry and the state of play with international negotiations on ITER.