PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

Europaudvalget 2004-05 (1. samling)
2617 - økofin Bilag 6
Offentligt

Medlemmerne af Folketingets Europaudvalg

og deres stedfortrædere

Bilag

Journalnummer

400.C.2-0

Kontor

EUK

29. november 2004

Til underretning for Folketingets Europaudvalg vedlægges Finansministeriets

redegørelse for rådsmøde (økonomi- og finansministre) den 16. november

2004.

PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

25. novem

12 CHM

Referat fra rådsmødet (ECOFIN) den 16. november 2004

Dagsordenspunkt:

Wim Koks rapport – opfølgning på DER

På grundlag af oplæg fra Kommissionen og formanden for Den Økonomiske-

Politiske Komité (EPC) var der med udgangspunkt i Wim Koks rapport en drøftel-

se af det videre arbejde med midtvejsevalueringen af Lissabon-strategien.

Der blev vedtaget konklusioner (vedlagt) om det videre arbejde med midtvejsevalu-

eringen af Lissabon-strategien.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Stabilitets- og Vækstpagten: Styrkelse, klargøring

og bedre implementering

Ministrene drøftede med udgangspunkt i et ’key issues’ papir, hvordan man kan

styrke implementeringen af Stabilitets- og Vækstpagten.

Ministrene var enige om, at de grundlæggende regler i traktaten dvs. budgetunder-

skud på højst 3 pct. af BNP og gæld på højst 60 pct. af BNP ikke skal ændres, og at

ændringer i Stabilitets- og Vækstpagtens regelsæt bør begrænses til et minimum.

Der var desuden bred støtte til at styrke fokus på konsolidering i gode tider, tage

højde for den offentlige gæld og finanspolitikkens langsigtede holdbarhed.

Der var et flertal mod at diskriminere mellem forskellige budgetposter herunder, at

udgifter til bestemte områder skulle kunne fratrækkes i opgørelsen af den saldo,

som bruges til at vurdere landenes overholdelse af 3-procentgrænsen.

Der vil blive arbejdet videre med de rejste temaer med henblik på en ny drøftelse i

ECOFIN i januar.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Stabilitets- og Vækstpagten: Statistik vedrørende

offentlige finanser i Grækenland

Kommissionen præsenterede en rapport fra Eurostat med tal vedrørende de offent-

lige finanser i Grækenland siden 1997, der viser, at underskuddene i alle årene har

været over 3 pct. af BNP.

Der blev vedtaget konklusioner (vedlagt), der bl.a. hilser Eurostats rapport vel-

kommen og konstaterer, at budgetunderskuddet har ligget betydeligt over referen-

ceværdien på de 3 pct. siden 1997. Ministrene opfordrer de græske myndigheder til

PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

at leve op til forpligtelserne under proceduren for uforholdsmæssigt store under-

skud og implementere de nødvendige tiltag.

Dagsordenspunkt:

De finansielle perspektiver 2007-2013 – egne

ressourcer

Ministrene havde på baggrund af formandskabets udsendte spørgsmål en drøftelse

af Kommissionens ændringsforslag til finansieringen af EU’s budget for perioden

2007-2013.

Ministrene udtrykte tilfredshed med det eksisterende finansieringssystem, men der

var et ønske om forenkling, og et flertal så gerne, at den nuværende momsindtægt

kunne bortfalde til fordel for en BNI baseret indtægt. Et flertal var imod Kommis-

sionens forslag om nye skattebaserede indtægtskilder på EU-niveau. Der var bred

skepsis overfor rabatordninger.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Finansielle tjenesteydelser:



Finansiel integration – opfølgning på den

finansielle handlingsplan



Vurdering af Lamfalussy-processen

Ministrene vedtog to konklusionstekster (vedlagt) om hhv. Komitéen for Finansiel-

le Tjenesteydelser (FSC)’s rapport vedrørende finansiel integration samt vurdering

af Lamfalussy-processen.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Moms: One stop shop

Kommissionen præsenterede sit forslag, der tilsigter at reducere administrative byr-

der for virksomheder med grænseoverskridende salg. Rådet hilste forslaget vel-

kommen og tog præsentationen til efterretning. Fra dansk side udtrykte man skepsis

overfor den forslåede ændring af fjernsalgsreglerne og opfordrede til konsekvent

indførsel af forbrugslandsprincippet.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Forbyggende toldsamarbejde mod hvidvask-

ning af penge

Der blev opnået enighed om Kommissionens forslag, der skal sikre en mere ensar-

tet kontrol med likvide midler, som passerer EU’s ydre grænser. Rådet fastsatte

beløbsgrænsen for angivelsespligt til 10.000 euro.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Eventuelt

PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

Kommissionen og Den Europæiske Investeringsbank (EIB) orienterede om arbej-

det med implementeringen af vækstinitiativet. Ministrene tog præsentationen til

efterretning.

Der blev efterspurgt en plan for arbejdet med direktiv om nedsat moms. Formand-

skabet bekræftede, at sagen skal behandles på ECOFIN i december.

A-punkter

Rådet vedtog uden drøftelse Kommissionens forslag til ny forordning om admini-

strativt samarbejde på punktafgiftsområdet.

Diverse

Under morgenmaden drøftede man velfærdsforskellene mellem EU og USA. Dis-

kussionen gik særligt på, hvad landene kan gøre for at forbedre levestandard og

beskæftigelse samt hvilke begrænsninger, herunder politiske, der er herfor.

Rådet havde under frokosten en drøftelse med finansministrene fra EFTA-landene

vedrørende aldringens implikationer for offentlige finanser og økonomisk vækst.

Endelig havde Rådet i margen af mødet en dialog med kandidatlande. Drøftelsen

vedrørte landenes notifikationer angående offentlige finanser og EPC-rapporten

strukturelle

udfordringer

landene.

PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

Bilag

Rådskonklusioner vedrørende Lissabon-strategien.

"The following conclusions focus on the economic aspects of the Lisbon process.

They are part of the follow-up to the European Council Conclusions of 4-5 No-

vember, which underline the three dimensions of the Lisbon strategy.

The Ecofin Council broadly welcomes the Report of the High-Level Group chaired

by Mr Wim Kok. The Council agrees the direction of the Lisbon strategy “is right

and imperative, but much more urgency is needed in its implementation”. While

some progress has been made, the Council also agrees that the challenges facing

Europe are greater now than in 2000.

In discussing the Report, Ministers stress, in particular, the following elements and

invite the Commission, when preparing their comprehensive proposals on the mid-

term review, to pay regard to them:

•

Achieving higher growth and employment should be at the centre.

Ministers

agree that the Lisbon agenda “has become too broad” and Europe must now prior-

itise and “focus on growth and employment to achieve the Lisbon strategy”. Higher

growth and employment are conducive to social cohesion and environmental sus-

tainability, and are necessary to help deal more easily with ageing-related fiscal chal-

lenges. Ministers also welcome the reference in the Report on the need for a mac-

roeconomic framework supportive of stability and growth.

•

Reforms aimed at accelerating Europe’s employment and productivity

growth.

Ministers broadly endorse the five priority areas as identified by the High

Level Group. Within these priority areas, Ministers underlined in particular: (i) cre-

ating a knowledge society – the importance of R&D and innovation, better frame-

work conditions and overcoming the outstanding problems for a Community Pa-

tent; (ii) completing the internal market – more effective competition and a single

market for services; (iii) creating the right climate for entrepreneurs – regulatory

reform and improving access to risk capital; (iv) reforming labour markets – in-

creasing flexibility, including through working more hours on a life-time basis, re-

balancing the concept of job security and taking action on benefit reforms; and (v)

enhancing environmental sustainability – eco-innovations. Ministers urge strict

compliance with the implementation calendar of the Internal Market Strategy.

•

Political ownership and leadership.

Ministers agree that policy-makers must

sharpen their commitment to, and ownership of, the Lisbon strategy and accept

their national responsibility in promoting the implementation of the agreed reforms

to stimulate growth and employment. National governments and the Commission

must take “the political lead that is so vitally required.” There should also be better

involvement of national parliaments and social partners with respect to the Lisbon

strategy.

•

The central role of the BEPGs and of multilateral surveillance.

Ministers

welcome the reference in the Report to the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines

(BEPGs). The BEPGs, by the power of the Treaty, are at the centre of the eco-

nomic policy co-ordination process. They provide the framework for policy rec-

PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

ommendations and the framework for the monitoring of their implementation.

Employment guidelines that are consistent and coherent with the BEPGs also have

a central role in delivering the objectives of the Lisbon process. Ministers invite the

Commission to pay attention to maintaining, and where possible, to strengthening

the key process of multilateral surveillance.

•

Increasing accountability.

Ministers agree that greater emphasis on benchmark-

ing national performance can strengthen the accountability of Member States for

implementing reform. Ranking of Member States’ absolute performance and pro-

gress over a recent period against core and instrumental economic targets has a part

to play, carried out carefully, accompanied by qualitative assessment and reflecting

initial structural conditions, as well as the reforms which have taken place in the

Member States. Improvements to the structural indicators should provide for more

accurate monitoring of Member State performance.

Ministers also insist on the following issues:

•

Strengthening governance.

The national action programmes, proposed by the

High-Level Group, in principle, could help to strengthen the governance of the

strategy, with Member States setting out clear and specific commitments to the

labour, product and capital market reforms needed to deliver higher growth and

employment. If adopted, these programmes should be used

in a streamlined and consistent governance framework, based, as proposed by the

Report, on the agreed recommendations in the BEPGs as adopted by the Ecofin

Council.

•

Points on which additional emphasis is needed.

The opportunity provided by

growth must be used to pursue fiscal consolidation more actively. Policy actions

must be consistent with the strengthening of quality and sustainability of public

finances, including the modernisation of the welfare state. Continued efforts are

also necessary to increase external openness, also in a multilateral context, as an

important spur to growth, employment and productivity by increasing competition

and lowering barriers to entry and increasing incentives for innovation.

•

A sustained focus on the core objectives.

Ministers insist that in focusing on

growth and employment, underpinned by a clear set of headline targets, the list of

objectives and targets should not be subject to continued pressure to expand, lead-

ing to a dilution of coherence and consistency in implementation.

The Ecofin Council will closely examine the proposals to be presented by the

Commission on the mid-term review, and invites the Economic Policy Committee,

in this regard, to assist it in the preparation of its contribution to the 2005 Spring

European Council."

PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

Rådskonklusioner vedrørende græsk budgetdata.

"The (Ecofin) Council welcomed the report by Eurostat on Greece’s deficit and

debt data for the period since 1997. The Council commended the Greek authorities

for their co-operation in clarifying Greece’s budgetary statistics and in bringing

them into line with the ESA 95 requirements.

The decision on Greece’s adoption of the euro in June 2000 was based inter alia on

statistical data compiled by the Greek authorities which had been validated by Eu-

rostat. Ministers acknowledged that part of the revisions reflect the uncertainties in

the transition to the new ESA95 methodology introduced at the time of the March

2000 fiscal notification. Revised and more complete data show that budgetary defi-

cits have been consistently above the reference value. Moreover, the debt to GDP

ratio has been revised upwards; it has not sufficiently diminished and approached

the reference value as Treaty Article 104 requests.

It is of paramount importance that the Greek government complies fully and rapid-

ly with budgetary discipline in support of the single currency. Ministers encourage

the Greek authorities to live up to their commitment under the excessive deficit

procedure to take sufficient corrective measures.

Ministers will assess the excessive deficit situation of Greece at the earliest oppor-

tunity based on a Commission recommendation.

Ministers stated their intention to return to the question of accountability and pos-

sible future action to prevent the re-occurrence of such an event, based on a Com-

mission report. Ministers mandated the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC)

to examine such a report closely and report quickly to the Ecofin."

PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

Rådskonklusioner vedrørende finansiel integration:

"The Council:

–

reaffirms its invitation to the Commission to take full account of the FSC's

May 2004 report in its future plans on financial integration;

restates the relevance of the conclusions of 2 June 2004, in particular that it

supports an approach to further integration of the financial sector based on

systematic analysis of remaining obstacles and the impact of tackling this ob-

stacles, and that "the emphasis should be on convergence of supervision and

implementation. Non-legislative action should be taken where possible and

appropriate, and new legislation should be introduced where necessary";

in particular, emphasises that full and consistent implementation and effec-

tive enforcement by the Member States must have top priority;

notes with satisfaction the progress made on the short term priorities set out

in the May 2004 FSC report, including on further convergence of supervisory

practice, the development of a financial stability framework at the EU level

and the enhancement of corporate governance;

stresses the importance of completing the current proposals in the area of

financial services, like the Capital Adequacy Directive for banks and invest-

ment firms, the 8

Company Law Directive on Statutory Audit, the 3

Money

Laundering Directive, the Reinsurance Directive and Accounting Standards;

takes note of the preparatory work done by the Commission to prepare its

priorities for future work and welcome the Commission’s efforts to actively

consult market participants, including end-users, by having set up sectoral

expert groups and a network of experts charged with formulating policy rec-

ommendations from a user perspective (FIN-USE);

invites the Commission to examine further issues affecting financial market

integration and stability, including the functioning of deposit guarantee

schemes in the context of integrating financial markets;

requests that all future legislative proposals be accompanied by thorough

impact assessment."

–

PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

Rådskonklusioner vedrørende vurdering af Lamfalussy-processen

"The Council finds that experience, while still limited to date, shows the introduc-

tion of Lamfalussy framework to have been successful, meeting its key objectives.

The application of the framework has generated additional momentum to, and in-

creased the flexibility of the legislative process in allowing it to respond to techno-

logical change and market developments, by adopting implementing rules on a fast-

er and more flexible basis. It has also paved the way for more effective supervisory

co-operation and convergence. The Council welcomes the positive contribution of

improved transparency, through open and early consultation of market participants,

while recognising that consultation processes have put significant demands on the

expertise available with market participants.

The Council notes with satisfaction that this positive evaluation is shared by all

three institutions involved in the legislative process, which have also decided to

extend its application to the banking and insurance sector, based on appropriate

guarantees for inter-institutional balance.

Financial markets and services continue to develop, and at a much faster pace than

ever before, as they exploit new technology and innovate. The introduction of the

Euro and the pursuit of the Lisbon economic reform agenda have combined with

the continuing development of financial markets to accelerate the pace of European

financial integration. The Council considers the Lamfalussy approach an important

element in the overall regulatory stance developed to face this challenge. This

framework should therefore continue to be applied, in the context of a dynamic

and open dialogue between all institutions and bodies concerned and market partic-

ipants - such an ongoing dialogue should aim to address any shortcomings and en-

sure that the Lamfalussy approach remains capable of meeting future challenges.

Therefore, the Council:

– Stresses the need to enhance the Lamfalussy framework and to achieve suffi-

cient flexibility in the way securities markets are regulated, in order to respond

to rapidly changing market developments and innovations;

–

Emphasizes the need to bear constantly in mind the original reasons behind

the four level split in the Lamfalussy framework, as well as the respective roles

of the different parties in the process and the need for political accountability;

Stresses the necessity of finding the appropriate balance between the need for

speed in the legislative process and the need to ensure the quality of the legisla-

tion and the practical implementation and enforcement;

Considers that the development of Level 3, including enhancing supervisory

co-operation and convergence of supervisory practices, and full and consistent

implementation as well as enforcement of adopted legislative measures are cru-

cial for the delivery of the benefits of the Lamfalussy framework to market par-

ticipants;

Agrees that, in light of the extension of the Lamfalussy framework to all finan-

cial sectors, the Mandate of the Inter-Institutional Monitoring Group should

–

PDF to HTML - Convert PDF files to HTML files

be extended to cover the new areas of banking, insurance and occupational

pensions. New members should therefore be nominated to take account of the

new mandate of the group. Its working arrangements and the duration of its

mandate should be agreed by the European

Parliament, the Commission and the Council."