Brussels, 07/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - The seventh framework programme of research and development (FPRD), proposed by the European Commission for the period 2007-2013, and the future EU policy on the registration, evaluation and limited authorisation of chemical products (REACH) will be the two major dossiers tackled by the Competitiveness Council, to be held in Luxembourg on Tuesday 11 October, under the chairmanship of Alan Johnson, the British Secretary Of State for Trade and Industry, and his colleague Lord Sainsbury of Turville, under-Secretary of State and Minister of science and innovation. No formal decision is expected from this session, which is set to be dominated by political debates. The scope of these debates will, however, be decisive. The UK Presidency hopes to pave the way for a partial agreement in November, on the broad outlines of the seventh FPRD, and the broadest possible political agreement on a well-balanced REACH, balancing the imperative of the competitiveness of European industry and the requirements for the protection of public health and the environment.
The implementation of Community legislation according to the most recent scoreboard on the internal market, the "Better Regulation" initiative and the "State aid" action plan are the other subjects included on the agenda of the session, and on which a mere progress report is expected. Charlie McCreevy and Günter Verheugen will represent the European Commission. Here is the programme of work:
REACH Legislation: the Council will hold an exploratory debate on the compromise package presented by the UK Presidency on 7 September (EUROPE 9026), with a view to increasing the effectiveness and practicality of the system of registration, evaluation and limited authorisation of chemicals, whilst taking account of various suggestions for improvement, which had been forwarded by the Member States, to reduce the administrative burden and costs of such a system for business- particularly for SMEs. The debate will concentrate on the procedure for the registration of substances. The compromise on the table has a broad consensus, but the Presidency would like to know exactly which elements the various delegations would like to see changed, for an unreserved political agreement to be reached in November, once the opinion at first reading of the Parliament, anticipated for the session of 14-16 November, is available (EUROPE 9042). The main point is likely to be whether all the Member States can agree to the level of requirements for information to be supplied by those producing or importing chemical products in quantities under 10 tonnes a year.
Better Regulation - The British Presidency has made better regulation one of its priorities. On 11 July 2005, the city of Cardiff hosted a Competitiveness Council that looked at better regulation (and other issues, see EUROPE No. 8990). Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen will inform the Council of progress in the Better Regulation initiative launched by the European Commission in March this year (EUROPE No. 8911). Better Regulation is divided into three part: - competitiveness impact assessment for all new legislative proposals. In June this year, the Commission adopted guidelines in a technical in-house document for impact assessments (EUROPE No. 8971) that will gradually be introduced in the Commission's legislative programme for 2005 and 2006; - simplification of existing legislation. Better Regulation takes a new approach to simplifying existing legislation, to be unveiled by the Commission in an official communication at the end of the month, taking account of suggestions requested of each Member States by Commissioner Verheugen. A new phase in the simplification process for existing legislation will then start; - revising draft legislation currently doing the institutional rounds. In a communication adopted on 27 September 2005, the Commission lists 68 pieces of draft legislation it wants to withdraw from the inter-institutional channels (EUROPE No. 9036). In order to reduce red tape, the ECOFIN Council will, on the same day, examine progress in the Commission's pilot scheme to establish common methodology for measuring administrative costs.
Implementing legislation in the Common Market: Charlie McCreevy, Internal Market Commissioner, will brief ministers on the Commission's league table of transposition of EU legislation into national law as at July 2005. The league table shows that Member States have pulled their socks up in terms of transposition performance but have yet to make progress in terms of denting the number of infringements (see EUROPE No. 8993).
Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes will brief the Council on the Commission's State Aid Action Plan.