EU Competitiveness Council (Pre-Council Written Ministerial Statement)

Thursday 1st December 2011 Written Statements

[The Minister for Universities and Science (Mr David Willetts)]

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Baroness Wilcox, has today made the following statement.

The EU Competitiveness Council will take place in Brussels on 5 and 6 December 2011. I shall represent the UK on internal market and industry issues on 5 December, and my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Universities and Science will represent the UK on research issues on 6 December.

The internal market and industry substantive agenda items on 5 December will be: a policy debate on enhanced co-operation in the area of the creation of unitary patent protection; a policy debate on unitary patent protection with regard to the applicable translation arrangements; agreement of general approach for proposals for a directive regarding interconnection of central, commercial and companies registers; a presentation by the Commission regarding business competitiveness and SME programme; a policy debate on a unified patent court and draft statute; adoption of Council conclusions for the industrial policy flagship initiative; adoption of Council conclusions on impact assessment in the Council; an exchange of views on results from the single market forum; and; adoption of Council conclusions regarding customs co-operation with eastern neighbouring countries.

A number of other items will be discussed under AoB. This will comprise of Commission presentations and updates on the following:

European shipbuilding;

Proposal for a regulation on European standardization;

Proposal to align product harmonisation directives to decision 768/2008 (NLF);

Results of the European tourism forum and informal ministerial meeting;

Results of the conference on the implementation of lead markets initiative and the European innovation partnerships (Warsaw, 26-27 October 2011);

Single Market Act implementation;

Services directive: state of implementation;

Consumer market scoreboard;

Proposal for a regulation on a European observatory on counterfeiting and piracy;

Proposal for a directive on the protection of orphan works;

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning customs enforcement of intellectual property rights;

Proposal for a directive on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and proposal for a regulation on online dispute resolution (ODR);

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a consumer programme (2014-2020);

Cohesion policy;

REACH: Report and review in the light of EU competitiveness; and

REACH and the candidate list of substances of very high concern;

Work programme of the incoming Danish presidency.

The research substantive agenda items on 6 December will be: a presentation and exchange of views of the framework programme for research and innovation (Horizon 2020); a Commission overview on progress towards agreeing the Euratom framework programme for 2012-13; adoption of Council conclusions regarding launching of joint programming initiatives on “Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans”; “The microbial challenge—An emerging threat to human health”; “Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe (Clik’EU)”; “Urban Europe—Global Challenges, Local Solutions”; “Water Challenges for a Changing World”; and adoption of Council conclusions on partnering in research and innovation. There will also be an adoption of space Council orientations on the value of space for the security of European citizens.

The research, space and any other business items will comprise of information from the Commission regarding active and healthy ageing; a presentation by the Commission on the European earth monitoring programme (GMES); information from the Hungarian delegation regarding the Budapest declaration on agricultural research; and information from the presidency regarding the report on the high level ministerial group on simplification.

The Government’s objectives for the Council are:

To contribute to a debate on political aspects of the patents package (the patent regulation, languages regulation and the unified patent court);

Confirm agreement with Council conclusions or general approaches with respect to companies registers, industrial policy and customs co-operation;

Further progress on impact assessment in Council;

Express the UK’s initial views on the Horizon 2020 proposals; and

Agree new joint programming initiatives and conclusions on partnering in research and innovation.