COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
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PRESSE 339
PR CO 45
PRESS RELEASE
3057th Council meeting
Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space)
Brussels, 10 December 2010
President Mr Vincent VAN QUICKENBORNE, Minister for
Enterprise and Simplification and
Mr Jean–Claude MARCOURT, Vice-President of the
Walloon Government and Minister for Economic Affairs,
SMEs, Foreign Trade and New Technologies
of Belgium
PRESS
Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 5394 / 6319 Fax: +32 (0)2 281 8026
press.office@consilium.europa.eu http://www.consilium.europa.eu/Newsroom
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Main results of the Council
The Council held a debate and adopted conclusions on the "Single Market Act", a package of 50
measures aimed at enabling businesses and citizens to take full benefit of the advantages of the internal market .
It also adopted conclusions on the flagship initiative "An integrated industrial policy for the
globalisation era", that sets out a strategy to boost growth and jobs by maintaining and supporting
a strong, diversified and competitive industrial base in Europe.
The Council adopted conclusions on the framework for gambling and betting in the EU member
states.
During a public debate, ministers discussed the way forward for establishing a future EU patent
system. A large majority of delegations considered that enhanced cooperation, as provided for in
the EU Treaty, is the only option for making progress on the creation of a unified EU patent system and asked the Commission to present a formal proposal for initiating enhanced cooperation. The
Commission announced the submission of such a proposal on 14 December. The Italian and
Spanish delegations strongly opposed the idea of initiating enhanced cooperation.
The Council adopted a decision extending the current state aid regime for the coal sector.
The Presidency gave information about the general approach that had been agreed on a draft
directive aimed at enhancing consumer rights across the EU.
The Council adopted its position on the new EU draft budget for 2011, paving the way for its final adoption before the end of the 2010.
Representatives of the member states' governments, meeting in a conference on the sidelines of the Council, decided that the European global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) agency will have its seat in Prague.
In the margins of the Council, the Presidency and the Commission announced the winner of
the 2010 Single Market Award at a prize-giving ceremony.
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1 CONTENTS
PARTICIPANTS........................................................................................................................... 5
ITEMS DEBATED
Single Market Act - Council conclusions ........................................................................................ 7 Gambling and betting: the role of the national authorities - Council conclusions ............................. 7
EU patent system: ways forward and option of enhanced cooperation ............................................. 8 An industrial policy for the globalisation era - Council conclusions .............................................. 10
Impact assessments in support of the EU's decision-making process.............................................. 11 OTHER BUSINESS ..................................................................................................................... 13
Consumer protection ..................................................................................................................... 13
Transposition of EU directives into national legislation ................................................................. 13 Directive on services in the internal market ................................................................................... 14
Work programme of the incoming EU Presidency ......................................................................... 14 Location of the global navigation satellite systems agency ............................................................ 15 Single Market Award 2010 ........................................................................................................... 15
OTHER ITEMS APPROVED
INTERNAL MARKET
– State aid regime for the coal sector................................................................................................................... 16
1;； Where declarations, conclusions or resolutions have been formally adopted by the Council, this is indicated
in the heading for the item concerned and the text is placed between quotation marks.
;； Documents for which references are given in the text are available on the Council's Internet site
(http://www.consilium.europa.eu).
;； Acts adopted with statements for the Council minutes which may be released to the public are indicated by
an asterisk; these statements are available on the Council's Internet site or may be obtained from the Press
Office.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Financing instrument for cooperation with industrialised and other high-income countries ................................ 17 –
– Financial instrument for promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide ................................................ 17
EU/Switzerland cooperation agreement on competition policy ......................................................................... 17 –
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
– European Case Law Identifier – ECLI - Conclusions ........................................................................................ 18 BUDGET
– EU solidarity fund for France and Portugal ...................................................................................................... 18 – Council's position on new draft EU budget and connected items ....................................................................... 18 AGRICULTURE
– German alcohol monopoly ............................................................................................................................... 19 DEVELOPMENT
– Financial instrument for development .............................................................................................................. 20 – Accompanying measures for ACP banana producers ........................................................................................ 20 TRADE POLICY
– Duty-free treatment for pharmaceutical active ingredients ................................................................................ 21 ENVIRONMENT
– Biocidal products............................................................................................................................................. 21 – Export and import of dangerous chemicals ....................................................................................................... 21 – EU Ecolabel .................................................................................................................................................... 22 – Waste management .......................................................................................................................................... 22 – Mercury .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 REGIONAL POLICY
– International Fund for Ireland .......................................................................................................................... 23
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PARTICIPANTS
Belgium:
Mr Vincent VAN QUICKENBORNE Federal Minister for Enterprise and Simplification Mr Jean-Claude MARCOURT Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister
for Economic Affairs, SMEs, Foreign Trade and New
Technologies
Bulgaria:
Mr Traicho TRAIKOV Minister for the Economy, Energy and Tourism Czech Republic:
Mr Martin KOCOUREK Minister for Industry and Trade
Denmark:
Mr Brian MIKKELSEN Minister for Economic Affairs, Trade and Industry Germany:
Mr Guido PERUZZO Permanent Representative
Estonia:
Mr Gert ANTSU Deputy Permanent Representative
Ireland:
Ms Geraldine BYRNE NASON Deputy Permanent Representative Greece:
Mr Achilleas MITSOS Secretary General
Mr Andreas PAPASTAVROU Deputy Permanent Representative Spain:
Mr Diego LÓPEZ GARRIDO State Secretary for the European Union,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
France:
Mr Eric BESSON Minister for Industry, Energy and the Digital Economy Italy:
Mr Alfredo MANTICA Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cyprus:
Ms Zeta EMILIANIDOU Permanent Secretary, ? Ministry of Commerce, Industry
and Tourism
Latvia:
Mr Juris PŪCE State Secretary, Ministry of the Economy
Lithuania:
Mr Rimantas ŽYLIUS Deputy Minister for the Economy
Luxembourg:
Ms Michèle EISENBARTH Deputy Permanent Representative Hungary:
Mr Zoltán CSÉFALVAY Junior Minister for Strategic Affairs
Ministry of the National Economy Malta:
Mr Jason AZZOPARDI Parliamentary Secretary
Netherlands:
Mr Henk BLEKER State Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation
Austria:
Mr Reinhold MITTERLEHNER Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, the Family and
Youth
Poland:
Mr Marcin KOROLEC Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs Portugal:
Ms Ana Paula ZACARIAS Deputy Permanent Representative
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Romania:
Mr Ion ARITON Minister for the Economy, Trade and the Business
Environment
Slovenia:
Mr Viljem PŠENIČNY State Secretaryat the Ministry of the Economy Slovakia:
Mr Peter JAVORČÍK Deputy Permanent Representative
Finland:
Ms Anni SINNEMÄKI Minister for Labour
Sweden:
Ms Ewa BJÖRLING Minister for Trade and Foreign Affairs Ms Catharina HÅKANSSON BOMAS State Secretary to the Minister for Enterprise and Energy
United Kingdom:
Baroness WILCOX Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Commission:
Ms Viviane REDING Vice-President
Mr Antonio TAJANI Vice-President
Mr Michel BARNIER Member
Mr John DALLI Member
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ITEMS DEBATED
Single Market Act - Council conclusions
The Council adopted conclusions on the "Single Market Act" (SMA), a two-year plan (2011-2012) of 50 initiatives aimed at ensuring continuous optimisation of the internal market and contributing to the successful implementation of the EU 2020 objectives on stimulating employment and economic growth.
The full text of the conclusions is reproduced HERE.
The conclusions endorse the general approach of the SMA (13977/1/10), according to which the
single market must rest upon a strong economic and social basis with a view to building a highly competitive economy.
In particular, the conclusions will address business and citizens’ concerns that prevent them from taking full benefit of the advantages of the single market; the use of tools to develop new sources of growth in both services and industrial sectors; European international competitiveness and the design of a new collective strategy to ensure a successful relaunch of the internal market. The conclusions also commit the Council to continue to examine the SMA with a view to defining the priority measures that should be in place before the end of 2012, in order to facilitate access to the single market, support businesses, encourage growth and help to create jobs. Gambling and betting: the role of the national authorities - Council conclusions
The Council adopted conclusions dealing with the framework conditions for gambling and betting in the EU countries.
The conclusions are set out in document 16884/10.
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EU patent system: ways forward and option of enhanced cooperation
During a public session, the Council exchanged views on the way forward for the future establishment of a single EU patent system and, in particular, the possibility of initiating enhanced cooperation between several member states.
A large majority of delegations asked the Commission to present a formal proposal for initiating enhanced cooperation. The Commission announced the submission of such a proposal on 14 December.
The majority of delegations considered that enhanced cooperation, as provided for in the EU treaty, is the only option for making progress on the creation of a unified EU patent system. The Italian and Spanish delegations strongly opposed the idea of initiating enhanced cooperation on the basis that the requirements for engaging in that process have not yet been met. The Hungarian delegation, which will be holding EU Presidency from January 2011, expressed its commitment to taking the work forward with a view to achieving an agreement on this issue as soon as possible.
Following ministerial discussions on 11 October and 10 and 25 November, the Belgian Presidency concluded that it is not possible to reach the required unanimity on a language regime for creating a EU patent system. Therefore a number of delegations expressed their interest in moving ahead on the basis of an enhanced cooperation.
The procedural steps to initiate enhanced cooperation in the area of unitary patent protection can be listed as follows:
(1) It is to be used only as a last resort after verifying the impossibility of reaching unanimity. (2) An application submitted to the Commission by member states wishing to pursue among
themselves an initiative blocked at the level of the Union; there must be at least nine countries
wishing to participate.
(3) The Commission assesses whether the request should be accepted. After acceptance, it sends
the Council a proposal for authorisation. This proposal must define the framework in which the
enhanced cooperation would be carried out.
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(4) The Council grants authorisation by qualified majority, after obtaining the consent of the
European Parliament.
(5) Once the cooperation has been authorised, all members of the Council may participate in its
deliberations, but only the participating countries take part in the votes.
(6) Enhanced cooperation is open at any time to member states wishing to join in. Background
On 4 December 2009, the Council adopted conclusions on a "Enhanced patent system in Europe" (17229/09). The conclusions state that "the EU patent regulation should be accompanied by a separate regulation, which should govern the translation arrangements for the EU patent adopted by the Council with unanimity in accordance with the second subparagraph of article 118 of the treaty. The EU patent regulation should come into force together with the separate regulation on the translation arrangements for the EU patent.". It is on this basis that the Commission presented a proposal on translation arrangements on 30 June 2010 (11805/10).
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An industrial policy for the globalisation era - Council conclusions
The Council held a second ministerial debate, following the first one held on 25 November, on the best ways for adapting the EU's industrial structures and policies as an engine for growth and job creation which is able to respond to challenges arising from globalisation.
At the end of the debate, the Council adopted conclusions on "An integrated industrial policy for the globalisation era: putting competitiveness and sustainability at centre stage" which is one of the 1. seven flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 strategy
It places the industrial policy at the centre of the new growth model for the EU economy, by proposing the establishment of a framework that will stimulate economic recovery and employment. This new framework is intended to help Europe's industry to seize the opportunities created in the transformation of the global business environment.
The new approach proposed towards a more dynamic, resource-efficient and sustainable economy is characterised by:
; bringing together a horizontal basis and a targeted application to the different industrial sectors; ; giving due consideration to the whole value and supply chain, from access to energy and raw materials to after-sale services and the recycling of materials, including the international dimension along the chain;
; closely monitoring competitiveness.
The full text of the conclusions is reproduced in document 17838/10.
* * *
1 http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm
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