Brussels, 31/08/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 30 August, the European Commission adopted a communication on the mid-term review of its legislative and work programme for 2006. The document shows that, in adopting 37 initiatives in the course of the first six months of the year, the Commission has implemented 40% of its 2006 programme announced in October 2005 (see EUROPE 9057).
The Commission has also published a table containing a list of the new initiatives to be added to the 2006 work programme containing, in particular, the monitoring reports on the enlargement of the EU to include Bulgaria and Romania (reports expected in September), a proposal for a transversal approach for innovation in Europe, an initiative on the protection of essential infrastructure, draft negotiation mandates for association agreements between the EU and the countries of Central America, and a Green Paper on ways to modernise the Community's trade defence instruments. Additionally, since the next European Spring Council will take place at the very beginning of 2007, the Commission has announced its intention to adopt its annual progress report on the renewed Lisbon Strategy before the end of this year.
The Commission's mid-term assessment is rather satisfactory. On prosperity, the Commission highlights the effort invested in the implementation of the renewed Lisbon Strategy. It mentions the improved access of SMEs to sources of external finance (especially risk capital). In the area of transport, it speaks of the work carried out on the logistics of the freight transport chain. The Commission also points out that it had given the go-ahead for Slovakia to join the euro zone on 1st January 2007. It also welcomes the initiatives to improve the efficiency of public services (action plan for IT-based modernisation of Member States' administrative systems and consultations on reviewing the regulatory framework for electronic communications). In addition, it presents a proposal to improve national means of redress available to firms when they consider a public contract to have been unfairly awarded. Deliberations were also begun on ways of stepping up the fight against tax fraud and a new generation of customs and tax programmes. The Commission also draws attention to the launch of the European transparency initiative (broad deliberations on how transparency can be increased, with particular reference to lobbying and information on the beneficiaries of European funds).
On its second priority, solidarity, the Commission points to the work on energy (Green Paper on a European energy policy, Community strategy on the production of biofuels), the environment (Community plan to halt the loss of biodiversity), and consumer protection (strategy to reduce the harmful effects of pesticides and proposal for the replacement of existing legislation on the placing of plant protection products on the market). In the area of agriculture, the Commission points to the communication on the options for the reform of the wine sector and stresses the importance of the Green Paper on a maritime policy for the Union and of the 2007-2013 guidelines on cohesion policy. In justice and home affairs, the Commission notes a communication on the priorities for combating illegal immigration from third countries and the initiative to ensure greater respect for children's rights. In the area of personal law, the Commission launched a debate on the legal questions raised by matrimonial regimes and proposed a regulation on the law applicable to divorce. Finally, the Commission published a roadmap on gender equality.
As for action in the area of security, the Commission presented a first report on the application of The Hague action plan and proposed the adoption of a Community code on short-stay visas and the creation of rapid-reaction teams for the surveillance of external borders in the event of a large influx of illegal immigrants. Other initiatives were launched on the security of networks and information.
Under the heading “Europe as a world partner”, the Commission speaks of preparing for the accession to the EU of Bulgaria and Romania, which should be ready to join the Union on 1st January 2007 “provided they stepped up their efforts at further reform”. In the area of development, the Commission presented a new EU-Africa partnership for infrastructures. As part of the European neighbourhood policy, draft national action plans for Egypt and Lebanon were drawn up in collaboration with these countries and forwarded to the Council. Finally, a new partnership for growth, stability and development between the EU and the Caribbean was presented, as was a strategy for strengthening the partnership with the islands of the Pacific.