The Competitiveness Council representing EU Ministers met on 11th March 2004 to discuss Internal Market, Enterprise and Consumer Protection issues.
The Council failed to reach agreement on the proposed Regulation creating a Community Patent, despite the agreement on the broad outlines reached by the same Council in March 2003. The main sticking point was how infringements of patents which might arise as a result of mistranslations should be treated. In the absence of agreement, the Presidency concluded that it would reflect on how to proceed further.
Priorities for 2004
The Council set itself deadlines for agreement by the end of 2004 on the proposals on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and on unfair commercial practices and attached priority to making progress on the proposed Services Directive.
Pharmaceuticals Review
The Council adopted as an "A point" (i.e. without discussion) the Regulation and two Directives making up the package updating the Community framework for pharmaceuticals and adapting it in the light of enlargement. This package was agreed by the European Parliament in second reading in December 2003. Its formal signature and publication in the official journal will follow in the next few weeks. The Member States will have eighteen months to adapt their national frameworks.
REACH The Council heard a Report from the Presidency on the initial progress made in reviewing the proposals for modernisation of the EU’s chemicals legislation and looked forward to a substantive debate at the next Competitiveness Council.
