Brussels, 08/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 12 February, the European Council will finalise its contribution to the European Council of 13-14 March on the economic and financial subjects. As well as the document discussed at the last meeting (EUROPE 9584), there will also be an opinion on the proposal of the Commission for a Community Lisbon programme, designed to add to measures taken at national level. Furthermore, one of the changes made to the previous version of the “key issues paper” focuses on the part devoted to Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). It now includes a reference to the agreement of the Eurogroup, in April 2007, calling on the member states of the eurozone to take advantage of favourable economic conditions to achieve their medium-term objective (MTO) in 2008 or 2009, and certainly no later than 2010.
Among the priority subjects for the Community Lisbon programme (CLP), the Ecofin Council takes the view that the Community should renew its social agenda and improve its capacity to anticipate changes on the employment market and skills and requirements in the whole of the EU. According to the text to be enshrined, it will be vital, when drafting migratory policy and in the framework of cooperation between member states on legal and illegal immigration, to take account of the repercussions for the other countries and the economic and budgetary dimensions.
In the view of the finance ministers of the EU27, the measures contained in the forthcoming proposed “Small-Business Act” at European level should concentrate on drafting good general conditions (see other articles). These should, they believe, guarantee better access to the public procurement markets, reinforce principles for the improvement of legislation and list obstacles to growth for SMEs and obstacles to their involvement in the single market and the international markets. The Ecofin Council also agrees to achieve a specific examination of the Community acquis from the point of view of SMEs and, wherever justified, to bring in exemptions on administrative requirements laid down in Community legislation.
The Community must reinforce the single market and competition, by means of more flexible political instruments and by improving the implementation of their execution. In terms of energy and the climate, the impact of the EU's measures on high-energy intense industries, which are also exposed to international competition, should be taken into account and examined in greater detail, the Council also recommends. From a trade point of view, action must be taken to ensure an increasing openness of the markets, leading to reciprocal advantages. Lastly, the potential of the transatlantic economic Council must be developed in full and, working together with the other main commercial partners, a common space must be developed, governed by regulatory provisions and accounting standards. (A.B.)