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Europaudvalget 2004-05 (1. samling)
Det Europæiske Råd 4-5/11-04 Bilag 3
Offentligt

Medlemmerne af Folketingets Europaudvalg

og deres stedfortrædere

Bilag

Journalnummer

400.C.2-0

Kontor

EUK

19. oktober 2004

Til underretning for Folketingets Europaudvalg vedlægges formandskabets

udkast til konklusioner vedrørende Det Europæiske Råds møde i Bruxelles

den 4.-5. november 2004, 13590/04.

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COUNCIL OF

THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 15 October 2004

13590/04

LIMITE

POLGEN 40

NOTE

From :

To :

Subject :

The Presidency

Coreper

European Council (4-5 November 2004)

– Draft conclusions

The Presidency hereby submits to Coreper a first draft of the conclusions to be

arrived at by the European Council.

In general, this draft will require updating in the weeks prior to the meeting of the

European Council. This applies in particular to the paragraphs relating to the Lis-

bon Strategy and to Freedom, Security and Justice, which will be amended to take

into account the outcome of relevant Council meetings.

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The European Council discussed in particular



issues in view of preparation of the Mid Term Review of the Lisbon

Strategy

an area of Freedom, Security and Justice: the Hague Programme

communicating Europe

It also held discussions with the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mr Alawi.

The meeting of the European Council was preceded by an expose by the

President of the European Parliament, Mr Josep Borrell, followed by an

exchange of views.

The European Council met for the first time with the President of the new

Commission, Mr José Manuel Barroso, participating. It expressed its de-

sire to work constructively in the years ahead with both the newly elected

Parliament and the new Commission.

THE LISBON STRATEGY: PREPARING FOR THE MID TERM

REVIEW

Economic prospects

The recovery in world trade and the improving international economic

climate provide a favourable setting for an upturn in European economies,

to be backed by sound budgetary policies in the Member States in accord-

ance with the Stability and Growth Pact and the monetary policy pursued

by the European Central Bank. The European Council expects this re-

newed confidence to be used to exploit and enhance European economies'

growth potential to the full in 2005 in order to boost employment.

In this connection, the European Council confirmed the validity and rele-

vance of the process it set in motion in Lisbon in March 2000 and wel-

comed the new European Commission's intention to make implementation

of the Lisbon Strategy a key component of its policy.

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Mid Term Review

The European Council welcomed a presentation by Mr Wim Kok, Chair-

man of the High Level Group advising the European Commission on its

preparations for the Mid Term Review of the Lisbon Strategy in March

2005. The presentation was followed by an exchange of views.

The European Council invited the Commission and the Council, each

within its respective sphere of responsibility, to take the report by the High

Level Group into consideration in preparing the Mid Term Review of the

Lisbon Strategy at the 2005 Spring European Council. The European

Council welcomes the Commission's intention to bring forward concrete

proposals in this regard and looks forward to further contributions with a

view to the successful implementation of the Lisbon Strategy.

The European Council reviewed progress made in implementing the Lis-

bon Strategy since the Spring Council in March 2004. It noted in particular

the following main issues.

Better regulation

The European Council reaffirmed the importance of better regulation in

order to increase competitiveness and productivity. In this connection it:



welcomed the support by the Council for common principles for

measuring the administrative burden of legislation on business as

well as the intention of the Commission to present a Communication

to this end;



furthermore welcomed the decisions of the Council in October on

co-operation between the Commission and Member States on pilot

projects to help define the envisaged common methodology for

measuring administrative burden on business to be applied in impact

assessments of European legislation;



called on the Council to continue its efforts to identify – before the

end of 2004 –specific legislation or areas of legislation to be simpli-

fied as a matter of priority, in line with ongoing efforts to this end.

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Completing the Internal Market

10. The European Council invited the Council



to solve the outstanding issues in the Financial Services Action Plan

and to reach agreement on the 8th Company Directive before the end

of the year;



to adopt, as a matter of urgency, the draft Directive on Services in

2005.

11.

The European Council invited the Council to reach agreement on the Di-

rective on the common system of taxation applicable to mergers, divisions,

transfers of assets and exchanges of shares concerning companies of dif-

ferent Member States.

Research and development

12. The European Council reaffirmed the merit of enhanced support for basic

research of the highest quality. It calls on the Council to examine the case

for specific funding and to take up the proposals by the Commission, in-

cluding the possible setting up of a Research Council.

13.

The European Council reaffirmed its strong support for the efforts current-

ly undertaken by the Commission to find a solution in the negotiations

with international partners on the host site of ITER and for the European

candidate, Cadarache. It invited the Council to reach agreement in No-

vember 2004 on the main elements of the future international agreement

on ITER .

Environment

14. The European Council underlined the potential of eco-efficient innovations

for enhancing growth and competitiveness with a view to reaching the

Lisbon goals. It called on the Commission and the Council to propose, in

their inputs to the 2005 Spring European Council, practical actions to ena-

ble the Union to benefit from the synergies between eco-efficiency and

growth.

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15.

The European Council reaffirmed its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol

and called on all countries that have not yet done so to ratify it as a matter

of urgency. The European Council welcomed the steps taken by Russia to

start the national process of ratification.

Employment and mobility

16. The European Council welcomed the proposal of the Commission to revise

the Working Time Directive and urged the Council to reach agreement

without delay, preferably before the end of this year.

17.

The European Council welcomed the agreement on a single framework for

the transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass) and urged

the Council to adopt the Temporary Workers Directive.

II.

AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY AND JUSTICE: THE HAGUE

PROGRAMME

18.

The security of the European Union and its Member States has acquired a

new urgency, especially in the light of the terrorist attacks in the United

States on 11 September 2001 and in Madrid on 11 March 2004. The citi-

zens of Europe rightly expect the European Union, while guaranteeing re-

spect for fundamental freedoms and rights, to take a more effective, joint

approach to cross-border problems such as terrorism, organised crime, ir-

regular migratory flows and smuggling of human beings.

19.

Five years after the European Council's meeting in Tampere, when it

agreed on a programme which laid the foundation for important achieve-

ments in the area of freedom, security and justice, it is time for a new

agenda to enable the Union to build on these achievements and to effec-

tively meet the new challenges it will face. To this end, it adopted a new

multi-annual agenda for the next five years. This agenda reflects the ambi-

tions as expressed in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe and

contributes to the preparation of the Union for its entering into force. It

takes full account of the evaluation by the Commission as welcomed by

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the European Council in June 2004. This agenda, to be known as the

Hague Programme, is attached to these conclusions.

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20.

The Hague Programme covers all aspects of policies relating to the area of

freedom, security and justice, notably fundamental rights and citizenship,

asylum and migration including border management, integration the fight

against terrorism and organised crime, justice and police cooperation, and

civil law, while a drugs strategy will be added in December 2004. In con-

junction, the European Council considers that creating appropriate Euro-

pean legal instruments and strengthening practical and operational cooper-

ation between relevant national agencies as well as timely implementation

of agreed measures are of vital importance.

21.

In the light of this Programme, the European Council welcomes the inten-

tion of the Commission to present an Action Plan in 2005 with proposals,

and a timetable for their adoption and implementation. Furthermore, it in-

vites the Commission to present to the Council a regular update on imple-

mentation of Union measures ("scoreboard"). Member States shall provide

the relevant information to this end. In this context, the European Council

emphasised the importance of transparency and the involvement of the Eu-

ropean Parliament.

22.

The European Council called on the Council to ensure that the timetable

for each of the various measures is observed and to regularly review pro-

gress relating to the Hague Programme.

23.

The European Council noted that when drawing up the Financial Frame-

work 2007-2013 due account should be taken of the financial implications

of the multi-annual agenda for the area of freedom, security and justice.

24.

The European Council will review progress on the Hague Programme soon

after the entry into force of the Constitution.

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III. COMMUNICATING EUROPE

25.

The European Council reiterated the need to strengthen awareness among

citizens of the importance of the work of the Union and welcomes the out-

come of the meeting of the Ministers of European Affairs dedicated to this

subject. It encourages also future presidencies to continue discussion of

this matter, including examination of possibilities for televised public de-

bates on European issues prior to European Council meetings. The peoples

of Europe hold essential values in common and politicians both at the na-

tional and the European level have a responsibility to convince citizens of

the relevance of European cooperation and to involve Europeans, through

public debate and active citizenship, in decision making.

26.

The European Council welcomes the special emphasis that the Commis-

sion places on communication, as demonstrated by the appointment of a

Vice President responsible for Communication. It invited the Commission

to present its communication strategy in good time before the June 2005

European Council.

27.

The European Council reiterated that the process of ratification of the

Constitution provides an important opportunity to inform the public about

European issues. Member States may share information and experiences

on this process, notwithstanding that campaigns relating to national refer-

endums remain a responsibility of the Member States.

IV.

28.

ENLARGEMENT

The European Council heard a presentation by the President of the Euro-

pean Commission on the Progress Reports, the Strategy Paper on En-

largement and Recommendations regarding the four candidate states as

well as the study on issues relating to possible accession by Turkey to the

European Union published by the Commission on 6 October 2004.

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29.

The European Council confirmed that, in line with previous conclusions, it

will address outstanding enlargement issues at its meeting in December

2004.

P.M.

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