Prodi attacks lack of progress on goals for Stockholm summit

Date: 08/02/01

By John Shelley

PRESIDENT Romano Prodi said yesterday he was 'disappointed' with progress towards making Europe the world's most dynamic knowledge-based economy.

Unveiling the European Commission's proposals for the 23-24 March Stockholm summit of EU leaders, Prodi said member states must use the meeting to step up their efforts to reach the goals set out at last year's Lisbon gathering.

"There has been progress in a number of areas but there have been other areas where we have not been successful, giving rise to a feeling of disappointment," he said. Prodi said the Commission had played its part in moving towards the Lisbon goals, tabling more than 40 legislative and policy initiatives to meet the objectives. But he said "ember states have held up progress in certain areas".

Prodi cited several key policy areas in which there has been little progress over the past year, saying action was needed on the liberalisation of gas, electricity and postal services. He also condemned the lack of action on proposals for a European satellite navigation system, Galileo, and the inability of Union governments to agree on a proposal for a one-stop-shop system for companies to register their inventions.

In order to push member states into action on Lisbon goals the Commission has suggested key areas where they should pledge concrete measures.

Economic reforms: Prodi said EU leaders should promise to fully open their electricity and gas markets by 2005, and endorse the creation of a single European sky before the end of 2004.

Postal liberalisation: The President called on member states to bury their differences by June in time for market-opening measures to enter the statute books by the end of 2001.

Financial markets: Prodi said he wants heads of state and government to endorse a series of reforms to overhaul the Union's hotch-potch financial services sector, as suggested by the 'Lamfalussy' report and the Commission's own financial services action plan.

Information technology: Prodi said member states must adopt the telecoms package and proposals on copyright, distance marketing of financial services and the charging of VAT on electronic commerce, all by the end of the year.

Jobs: The Commission said leaders should agree intermediate targets for employment rates and set national individual job creation targets.

Research: Prodi said Community patent rules must be adopted by the end of 2001.

In early February 2001 President Romano Prodi said he was 'disappointed' with progress towards making Europe the world's most dynamic knowledge-based economy. Unveiling the European Commission's proposals for the 23-24.3.01 Stockholm summit of EU leaders, Prodi said Member States must use the meeting to step up their efforts to reach the goals set out at the 2000 gathering in Lisbon.