Brussels, 25/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the Commission welcomed the results of a first progress report on implementation of the Community Lisbon programme (CLP) showing that the Commission, on 31 July 2006, had adopted 75 of the 102 policy actions covered by the CLP up to 2007. “The onus is now on the European Parliament and Council to adopt these proposals as quickly as possible”, it states, before going on to welcome the fact that “the momentum will be further increased with the scheduled adoption, by the end of the year, of the Services Directive, the 7th Research Framework Programme and SESAR (the European air traffic control infrastructure modernisation programme)”. “Political leadership will be required to make progress on issues such as patent policy and the Payment Services Directive”, it adds. Presented in parallel to the national progress reports submitted by the Member Sates for scrutiny by the Commission, the first progress report shows progress when it comes to: - knowledge and innovation as good progress has been made in setting up a governance structure at EU-level for meeting the 3% of GDP target for investment in research, and an ambitious strategy for innovation received endorsement from the European Council in Lahti; - making Europe more attractive for investment and employment (some of the policy actions envisaged in the state aid action plan include review of the internal market to improve the corporate environment, the Better Regulation initiative, trade strategy for strengthening the EU's external competitiveness as well as preparatory work devoted to the creation of a common consolidated corporate tax base); - more and better jobs (Community initiatives for setting up the European Qualification Framework and the European Institute of Technology which received a general welcome from the Informal Summit in Lahti). The present report is the first stage before adoption by the Commission of its annual progress report on 12 December. (eh)