The Council adopted integrated conclusions on competitiveness and on a simplified business environment for EU companies in the areas of company law, accounting and auditing.
The Council also adopted conclusions on a sustainable and competitive European tourism sector.
Council Conclusions – Main results
Competitiveness/Integrated Approach
(a) Communication from the Commission - "Mid-Term review of Industrial Policy -
a contribution to the EU's growth and jobs strategy"
(b) Communication from the Commission - "E-skills for the 21st Century, fostering
Competitiveness, Growth and Jobs (E-skills strategy)"
(c) Communication from the Commission - "Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises – Key for delivering more growth and jobs. A mid-term review of Modern SME Policy"
(d) Communication from the Commission - "The European Interest: Succeeding in the age of globalisation"
(e) Communication from the Commission - "European Competitiveness Report 2007"
Integrated Council Conclusions on Competitiveness
Better Regulation
The Council held and exchange of views and took note of a progress report on the Better regulation agenda (14625/07).
The report, submitted by the Presidency, reflects the most relevant developments in the three key areas of the Better regulation process:
– reduction of administrative burdens, where five of the ten fast-track actions intended to reduce costs for businesses have already been adopted;
– impact assessment, where, during the Portuguese Presidency, 20 legislative proposals and other major Commission initiatives accompanied with impact assessments have been adopted by the Commission. The Commission's independent "Impact Assessment Board" has contributed to improve the quality of impact assessments. The report welcomes the independent evaluation of the Commission's impact assessment system; and
– simplification, where the report notes that, for 2007, 29 simplification initiatives have been presented by the Commission and 25 are confirmed for presentation by the end of 2007. At interinstitutional level, 13 initiatives have been adopted, whilst 37 are currently pending for adoption before the co-legislators.
The report also welcomes the Commission's intention to present the second strategic review of Better regulation in early 2008. The review will be an useful basis for discussion at the 25-26 February Competitiveness Council, as well as at the 13-14 March European Council of how Better regulation tools are effectively applied, and whether further action is needed.
Since the presentation of the last report in May 2007 (9164/07), the principles of Better regulation have been steadily implemented in the EU's law-making process.
The Better regulation agenda aims at improving the quality and form of the regulatory environment in order to strengthen the EU competitiveness.
Better regulation – progress report
Council conclusions on a simplified business environment for companies in the areas of company law, accounting and auditing
The Council calls upon the Commission to:
1) Expedite consideration of responses to its Communication and, where appropriate and preferably before the end of 2008, bring forward proposals, based on impact assessments.
Such proposals should be aimed at reducing unjustified administrative burdens for companies in the fields of company law, accounting and auditing, taking duly into account the principles agreed upon under the better regulation process and in line with the general objective of achieving a 25% reduction of administrative burdens arising from EU legislation by 2012, namely:
a) reforming, on a case-by-case basis, relevant EU instruments in these fields that impose costs on undertakings without conferring benefits for those undertakings, investors or creditors in the internal market;
b) ensuring that the requirements imposed on undertakings, in particular in the fields of accounting and auditing, are set at the necessary level and are proportionate to the size and nature of the undertakings.
Such proposals will be addressed by the Council as a matter of priority.
2) Actively promote an open exchange amongst Member States on best practices and further consider the need for integration in EU legislation in the fields of company law, accounting and auditing of the following objectives:
a) streamlining reporting requirements imposed on undertakings and concerning the same type of data;
b) reducing the number of preventive legality checks concerning the action of undertakings to that necessary;
c) increasing and optimising the use of electronic means:
i) in the relationship between undertakings and public administration and/or
ii) within and between undertakings, taking also into account the possibilities offered by the available technical standards or the use of electronic signatures;
d) simplifying the relationship between undertakings and public administration, including the possibility of developing "one stop shop" solutions."
Council Conclusion on a simplified business environment