Brussels, 24/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - Under the presidency of the British Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Alan Johnson and his compatriot Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, the Competitiveness Council will deal with issues to do with research and space on 28 November and industry and internal market aspects on 29 November.
Research - The Council is due on Monday morning to reach a “partial general orientation” on the 7th framework programme for research and development (FPRD) for 2007-2013. Awaiting both the end of discussions on the financial perspectives on which the budgetary envelope for the framework-programme will depend, and the first reading in the European Parliament (Buzek report), the Council will have collected together in one text all the positions on which the Member States have managed to agree under the Luxembourg and UK Presidencies. On Monday morning the Council is due to tackle the last three points which are still the subject of some reservations. The first is to do with the administrative form of the European Research Council which is to be set up to promote basic research at the frontiers of knowledge. In part to progress quickly in installing this new body, the Commission proposed to give it the form of an executive agency. Several Member States - Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Portugal, France, Lithuania - insisted on guarantees for the independence of the European Research Council using the model of the joint enterprise under article 171 of the Treaty. The UK Presidency is now, with the Commission's support, proposing an executive agency with an evaluation at the latest in the course of 2010 and a semi-automatic change to a joint enterprise at that point. This should gain assent from France in particular. But Sweden still wants the date to be changed so that the evaluation takes place before the end of Janez Potocnik's mandate in 2009. That delegation thinks that the change of Commission could possibly have a negative effect on the independence of the European Research Council. The debate on the ethical aspects of research involving embryonic human stem cells is not closed. The Italian minister is due to speak on this subject. Italy, supported by Poland and Malta, wants rules to be drawn up in the framework-programme text, whereas the Commission, Presidency and most of the other Member States think that the debate on this issue should take place during the examination of specific programmes. This recurring debate hinges on the legitimacy of financing research of this type with EU funds. During the adoption of the 6th FPRD, a very rigorous ethical framework was put in place and Ireland, another catholic country, accepted the principle that anyone wishing to carry out such research can do so in those countries which authorise it. Spain and Portugal, who have had a change of government, are no longer against this. After the election of cardinal Ratzinger as successor to Jean-Paul II and of Angela Merkel as Federal Chancellor, Germany, on the other hand, could join the group of countries which want to limit or even ban Community financing of research on embryonic human stem cells. Another recurring debate concerns the participation of SMEs in the framework-programme. Despite reservations from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany and the Netherlands, who do not have exactly the same objectives, the Council is likely to reintroduce the non-binding objective of minimum participation of 15%. This objective already figured in the 6th FPRD. The other aspects of the framework-programme were discussed under the Luxembourg Presidency . The partial general orientation casts no doubt on the structure or any basic elements of the Commission's proposal. Among the most significant changes there nonetheless figure the division of the theme “space and security” into two priorities and precisions on the criteria for technological initiatives.
3rd Space Council - On Monday afternoon the Space Council is due to approve the orientations on the future environmental and security surveillance system GMES. These orientations are due to be formally adopted by the Council and the European Space Agency (ESA) according to their own internal procedures. The Space Council will also deal with aspects of space cooperation with non-European partners (development of a strategy, definition of roles responsibilities of the Union and the ESA and the financial principles to support cooperation). Finally, the director-general of the ESA Jacques Dordain the Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen will present the progress on the European space policy.
Industrial policy - At dinner on Monday evening, the Council will have an exchange of views on the new “integrated" approach from the Commission to industrial policy (communication 13173/05, EUROPE 9042) based on seven cross-cutting initiatives (trans-sectoral) and seven sectoral initiatives. The UK Presidency will invite the Council to examine the following questions: - will the cross-cutting initiatives help the Union to create jobs and stimulate growth? - is the consistency of sectoral initiatives guaranteed and is doubling-up avoided? - What tools are available to the EU to facilitate structural changes in the European manufacturing sector? - Is it possible to define an industrial policy for the manufacturing sector without taking account of the complementary role of the services sector (interdependence of the two sectors)?
Programme for competitiveness and innovation - At a public debate on Tuesday morning, the Council is due to adhere to the approach contained in a progress report drawn up by the UK Presidency on the draft decision 13814/05 establishing the Programme for Competitiveness and Innovation (PCI) for the period 2007-2013. At the Competitiveness Council of 10 May (EUROPE 8943, p. 9), the ministers identified cross-cutting questions requiring clarifications (particularly on the compatibility of the PCI and both the 7th FPRD and the structural funds) with regard to the Commission's initial proposal from April (EUROPE 8923).
Chemical products - The Council will then have an in-depth discussion on the proposal amended by the UK Presidency taking account of the European Parliament's opinion expressed in the vote in first reading on 17 November. The Council will maintain the hope of reaching an agreement by the end of the year at the exceptional Competitiveness Council on 19 December, with Germany having asked to delay its decision to allow time for its new government to settle in.
Internal market - At lunch, the ministers will have an exchange of views on the basis of a progress report prepared by the UK Presidency on the draft services directive and will debate the following issues: - the scope of the directive; - the interaction of the directive with the national rules in force in the Member States on worker protection and the level of harmonisation; - the country of origin principle; the free movement of services in the Union.
Elsewhere, the Council is due to adopt conclusions on the initiative Better regulation, launched in March by the European Commission (EUROPE 8911) which, in this context, has already adopted a list of pending legislative proposals to be withdrawn from the interinstitutional process (EUROPE 9036) and a tri-annual plan to simplify the acquis communautaire (EUROPE 9056). The Council is also due to adopt conclusions on the draft European contract law. It will take note of the state of play in discussions on the proposal to establish a Community action programme in the area of health and consumer protection for the period 2007-2013, for which the final budget is due to be decided with the financial perspectives. Finally, the Commission will inform the Council of progress in the Revised Lisbon strategy with regard to the national action programmes.