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Europaudvalget 2002-03
EUU Alm.del Bilag 1337
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Medlemmerne af Folketingets Europaudvalg

og deres stedfortrædere

Bilag

Journalnummer

400.C.2-0

Kontor

EUK

25. september 2003

Til underretning for Folketingets Europaudvalg vedlægges formandskabets

kommenterede dagsorden vedrørende Det Europæiske Råds møde i Bru-

xelles den 16.-17. oktober 2003, 12724/03.

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COUNCIL OF

THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 23 September 2003

12724/03

POLGEN 64

NOTE

From:

To:

The Presidency

Permanent Representatives Committee/Council

European Council (16/17 October 2003)

– Annotated draft agenda

Subject:

According to the Seville European Council Conclusions the General Affairs and

External Relations Council, acting on a presidency proposal, shall draw up an anno-

tated draft agenda at least four weeks before the meeting of the European Council.

The Presidency accordingly submits the following annotated draft agenda, which

sets out the main items it expects the European Council to address in Brussels on

16/17 October. The revised final version of the annotated draft agenda which the

Presidency will submit to the GAERC immediately preceding the European Coun-

cil will take into account the outcome of relevant work in sectoral Councils

(ECOFIN, TTE, JHA) meeting earlier in the month.

The Presidency furthermore recalls that Heads of State or Government will also

meet as an Intergovernmental Conference on the new Constitutional Treaty in the

margins of this European Council. For the sake of completeness, indications on the

likely proceedings of the IGC will be contained in the revised version of this note.

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p.m.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE

EUROPEAN COUNCIL

The Presidency intends to limit the agenda to the following items:

II.

III.

Relaunching the European economy

Strengthening the area of freedom, security and justice

External relations

RELAUNCHING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMY

After a period of uncertainty, some positive signs are emerging in Europe. An

improvement in the international economic environment, low levels of inflation,

stabilised oil prices and better conditions in the financial markets are key factors

behind a pick up in economic activity, which is expected to begin in the second part

of the year and strengthen in the course of 2004.

Since the situation remains fragile, a message of confidence in the European

Union's economic future is needed. Enhancing sound macroeconomic policies,

accelerating structural reforms and promoting investment in profitable infrastructu-

re and human capital are key priorities. The expected pick up in economic activity

should be used to strengthen budgetary consolidation with a view to improve the

growth potential of the European economies and to ensure the long-term sustaina-

bility of public finances, as emphasised by the Brussels Spring European Council.

To this end, appropriate measures aimed at relaunching growth along a number of

axes should be taken, in the context of the Lisbon Strategy. The purpose of this

European Council, without seeking to pre-empt the Spring 2004 rendez-vous, is to

focus attention on certain areas of particular and immediate relevance to growth, in

order to organise work and to offer guidance in view of concrete conclusions at the

European Council on 12/13 December.

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Boosting investment in key projects in a framework of sound macroecono-

mic policies

Speeding up the implementation of European physical networks and increasing

investment in human capital while enhancing sound macroeconomic policies will be

crucial for growth and help achieve an effective integration of the enlarged Europe,

with significant gains in productivity.

To this end the European Council is expected to endorse the ECOFIN Council’s

report of 7 October in relation to the Initiative for Growth with a view to the

ECOFIN Council’s assessment prior to the European Council in December. The

involvement of the private sector in financing European projects is a key compo-

nent in making this programme a reality through the provision of additional and

larger sources of private funding.

(Initiative for Growth – To be completed after the ECOFIN Council on 7 October)

Connecting the internal market

Completing a fully effective internal market also plays a vital role in boosting

growth. Maximising its benefits requires modern, efficient transport infrastructure

to ensure easy and equal access to and from all EU Member States, also in view of

the upcoming enlargement. In this framework, the European Council is expected to

give particular attention to the new Decision on the priority projects for transport

TENs – accompanied by proposals intended to boost the volume and the efficiency

of investment in those projects – and other proposals being examined by the TTE

Council

(to be updated after the TTE Council on 9/10 October)

. To this end, a higher rate

of Community co-financing and stronger coordination among Member States will

be considered. This must be accompanied by a modern transport policy which ac-

cords due importance to considerations of safety and sustainability.

The completion of an integrated market for electricity and gas will enhance security

of supply and competitiveness, giving further impetus to growth . In addition, the

development of energy infrastructures will also ensure the full involvement of the

new EU's neighbours and partner countries in the European market.

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Enhancing the competitiveness and long-term growth potential of the Euro-

pean economy

Enhancing competitiveness remains a key to stimulating economic growth. In this

regard, the European Council is expected to give concrete substance to the indica-

tions provided by Spring European Councils in the following areas:

−

accelerating structural reforms across the board,

evaluating the role of Industrial policy at European level, addressing gen-

eral framework conditions for businesses

−

implementing an effective better regulation (improved quality of legisla-

tion and simplification) at European and national level, in order to provide

the appropriate environment for businesses,

–

further extending and deepening the knowledge base, with investment in

research and advanced technologies as well as in human capital playing a

crucial role in this regard.

The European Council could also give consideration to how further action to en-

hance

sustainability

and

environmental protection

could contribute to boosting

growth, while evaluating its impact on competitiveness.

Completing the integration of the Financial Markets

Fully integrated and stable financial markets will play a crucial role in channelling

savings into productive investment and enhancing economic growth. The Euro-

pean Council is accordingly expected to call for rapid progress on all the outstan-

ding components of the Financial Services Action Plan with a view to finalisation in

accordance with the agreed timetable.

The European Council is also expected to give impetus for bringing work on the

take-over bids Directive to a rapid and successful conclusion.

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Reinforcing the social dimension

The systems of social protection play a vital role in achieving the goals set out in the

Lisbon Strategy and reinforcing competitiveness while maintaining the European

social cohesion model. The improvement of these systems requires reforms to be

pursued in order to ensure their long-term sustainability, particularly in the context

of the challenges posed by an ageing population.

The European Council is accordingly expected to consider and support the Mem-

ber States on ways of enhancing the global and mutually-reinforcing nature of the

Lisbon Strategy

on the one hand, by ensuring that social aspects are fully integra-

ted into the Union's economic and employment policies, and on the other, by deve-

loping policies aimed at reforms of the labour market and preparing for the chal-

lenges posed by an ageing population, in particular the sustainability of pensions

systems while maintaining their quality, adequacy and availability.

STRENGTHENING THE AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY AND

JUSTICE

Immigration, Frontiers And Asylum

The European Council conclusions are likely to include the following elements:

The European Council reaffirms the principles and priorities of the EU policies on

immigration and asylum as set out in the European Councils in Thessaloniki, Sevil-

le, Laeken and Tampere. In the framework of a balanced approach between illegal

migration and reception and integration of legal immigrants, it invites the Council

and the Commission to continue the active implementation of the initiatives

agreed upon in the field of migration and asylum. In this regard, the European

Council recalls the priority of defining the pending proposals for Council directives

in the field of asylum, in order to complete the legal framework provided for in the

Treaty of Amsterdam.

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At the same time, it underlines the urgency of full implementation of the Plan on

the management of external borders, including the close coordination and monito-

ring of “Centres” and operational activities, . Furthermore, the European Council

supports joint initiatives between Member States for border management, also on a

regional basis. In this framework, the European Council invites the Commission to

put forward as soon as possible a Communication on the possible creation of an

Agency for the management of external borders, in time for the Council to discuss

main issues at its 27/28 November session, . This Communication should draw on

experience by the Common Unit activities [reflecting Thessaloniki point 13 and 14].

The European Council takes note of the results of the study launched by the

Commission on maritime borders and invites the Council to draw up a work pro-

gramme to be adopted by the end of the year.

The European Council reaffirms that the use of all appropriate instruments in the

context of the EU's external relations should be an essential component of the

EU's strategy to combat illegal migration. In this context, the European Council

underlines the importance of an active partnership with third countries of origin

and transit of migratory flows, in the framework of an overall integrated, compre-

hensive and balanced dialogue with those countries.

In this regard, it regrets the slow progress in concluding Community readmission

agreements, invites the Commission, the Council and the Member States to set up a

[package of instruments – to be clarified] in order to facilitate the successful conclu-

sion of these agreements. It welcomes the Commission's initiation of a study into

national legal immigration quotas and notes that each Member State is responsible

for the number of legal immigrants admitted to its territory, in accordance with its

law and reflecting its specific situation. The value of combining national quotas to

support the Commission in its international negotiations on behalf of the Commu-

nity shall be analysed and it invites all Member States, Accession States and Candi-

date States to cooperate fully with the Commission to this end [reflecting results of

the informal JHA Council in Rome].

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The European Council reaffirms the importance of solidarity in the implementation

of a common return policy and in this framework invites the Commission to pre-

sent proposals, taking into account the current financial perspectives and the finan-

cial envelope foreseen in Thessaloniki, to provide financial support for the repatria-

tion in humane and dignified conditions to the main countries of origin and transit

of flows of illegal immigration.

Judicial Cooperation

The European Council welcomes with satisfaction the approval of the Regulation

on parental responsibility as a fundamental step to improve the legislative frame-

work in civil proceedings concerning the custody and the protection of minors.

This Regulation and the related international Conventions will also contribute to a

better regime in this matter in the relationships with third countries. Furthermore,

the Regulation is a major first step towards the construction of a European family

law.

Recalling the Laeken Conclusion, the European Council reaffirms the importance

of intensifying the fight against drug trafficking and the urgency of adopting the

Commission proposal on the subject by the end of 2003.

II.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

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