Brussels, 24/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, the European Council welcomed “with satisfaction” the EP's vote on the “services” directive (see EUROPE 9133) and “awaits the Commission's amended proposal with interest” on 4 April. In its conclusions, it retains the phrase, much debated at Monday's Council, noting the Commission's intention to base its amended proposal on the result of the first reading in the EP (see EUROPE 9155). Optimistically, it “expresses the hope that the institutions will be able to conclude the legislative process rapidly”. It also welcomes the Commission's communication on transitional measures on the free movement of workers, which is closely linked to the “services” directive, and notes that Member States will inform the Commission of their intentions in this area before the end of April. As in March 2005, it recalls the need to open the internal services market while retaining the “European social model” (see EUROPE 8915). In a press conference on Friday, Wolfgang Schüssel said that after some initial controversies, he and Mr Barroso had fought for these conclusions, making a good duo. Mr Barroso said that the direction was now clear, and it would allow progress to be made, based on the EP compromise, as the only realistic basis for a positive outcome.
Angela Merkel thought that these conclusions represented an example of the European Council's ability and will to make decisions. She considered the EP compromise authorised greater opening for services without putting social standards in question and Poland, the Czech Republic and the Baltic States gave a positive welcome to the conclusions. The former Bolkestein directive did not take account to the requirements of social guarantees for workers and public services, said Jacques Chirac, adding that the EP text “respects the rights of workers and consumers”. He acknowledged that some had expressed more liberal ideas, but the Summit gave a definitive welcome to the EP compromise. Belgium was fully in favour of the compromise, said Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, going on to say that the Commission's amended proposal should not be a copy, because further little technical differences could still be incorporated. Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxemburg, said it was important to respond positively to the political message sent by the Parliament, and he hoped that any legal and technical difficulties which remained would be eliminated during the course of the legislative process. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen was pleased that a great gap had been bridged. It was the first time in many years that, at the European Council, a Commission President fully backed a compromise from the Parliament, said Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, saluting Mr Barroso's “authority” and “prestige”.
Some delegations showed more measured optimism. Several observers said the Netherlands had shown the greatest resistance. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the conclusions were “a step in the right direction”, even if “we would have liked the directive to go further … like several other countries around the table”. He added “When people see that the directive does not cost jobs, but creates them, we will find the consensus to go further”. “We haven't taken two steps, only one, but in the right direction,” said Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz. His Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern did not see a definitive agreement coming under the Austrian Presidency, and expected a more vigorous round of negotiations when the Commission came back with its amended proposal.