BUDGET CONSOLIDATION EU/IRAN INTERVIEW Eurogroup makes commitments Solana to meet Larijani MEP Françoise Grossetête for 2008 Page 10 on 25 April Page 13 (EPP-ED, France) Page 31 EUROPOLITICS The European affairs daily Monday 23 April 2007 N° 3292 35th year FOCUS JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS Is Germany slow Council reaches consensus on to pay its debts? fighting illegal immigration By Dafydd ab Iago Council meeting confirmed that perma- By Nicolas Gros-Verheyde nent coast patrols networks will begin oper- Aside from immigration, ministers attend- ation in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic “We are all in favour of discussing ing the Justice and Home Affairs Council in late May under Frontex coordination. patient mobility, but it is also high on 20 April in Luxembourg turned to a Ministers confirmed as “on schedule” time for each country to meet the range of other ‘home affairs’ issues, includ- both Schengen and the Visa Informa- costs due for care provided to its ing the creation of Rapid Border Interven- tion System (VIS). In December 2006, nationals abroad. I have one particu- tion Teams (RABIT), the Visa Information the Council conceded ‘SISone4all’ to lar country in mind, whose debts date System, Europol reform and the so-called the new member states who had previ- back to 2001.” ‘toolbox’ – a centralised register of technical ously been faced with long delays before The issue, raised by Austrian Minister equipment. Most prominent on this second the second generation of Schengen Infor- Andrea Kdolsky, came out of the blue day of the Council was, though, continued mation System (‘SIS II’) would finally be at the informal Council of Health Min- discussion of the global approach on migra- ready. At the Council in Luxembourg, the isters, held in Aachen on 20 April. tion in view of the forthcoming set of Com- German Presidency also confirmed the Yet everyone around the table smiled, mission communications. meeting of ‘technical prerequisites’ that especially the delegations which, like For southern Europeans at the Council, will abolish controls at internal land and Austria, have proof that the coun- burden sharing remained an important sea borders along new member states by try currently chairing the European issue. “We have been calling for complete late December 2007 and controls at air Union is a slow payer. burden sharing, not only financially,” said borders of these countries in spring 2008 Interviewed by Europolitics, Ger- Maltese Justice and Home Affairs Minister (except for Cyprus). German Interior Min- many’s Federal Minister Ulla Schmidt Tonio Borg. “Such burden sharing should ister Wolfgang Schäuble praised Portugal’s denied any delays and said her coun- also take the form of protecting persons project management for ‘SISone4all’ and try complied with EU regulations and arriving at periphery states of Europe as France’s supporting the central system in was perfectly up to date. such states can not manage the numbers Strasbourg. One thing seems certain, though. involved,” said Borg. The Maltese minister SIS II had been delayed due to the Compensation for health care between was most clearly supported in his efforts by system’s “technical complexity” (albeit member states is a sensitive, even Italy and Spain. with new member states suspecting some taboo, subject that poisons relations With respect to burden sharing, the Schengen members of inventing “techni- between social security bodies, par- German EU Presidency stressed the cal problems” to delay SIS II). “The delay ticularly since it is a recurring issue. importance of the so-called ‘toolbox’, a cen- in introducing SIS II has no impact on the Official statistics, moreover, are any- tralised record of all technical equipment removal of internal border controls,” said thing but public. available to the Frontex agency for external Schäuble. “The functional improvements border control and surveillance. Currently, related to the introduction of SIS II, such member states have pledged some 21 fixed as the possibility to store and submit finger- wing aeroplanes, 27 helicopters, more than prints and photos, are important innova- 100 vessels and other technical equipment. tions,” he added. As for the European Patrols Network, the The German (continued on page 6) Sold by subscription only © reproduction strictly prohibited in any language www.europolitics.info EUROPOLITICS N° 3292 Monday 23 April 2007 3 Contents N° 3292 Top Stories BUDGET CONSOLIDATION EU/IRAN INTERVIEW Eurogroup makes commitments Solana to meet Larijani MEP Françoise Grossetête for 2008 Page 10 on 25 April Page 13 (EPP-ED, France) Page 31 Business & competitiveness Aviation: Restrictions on cabin External relations Telecoms: Report warns against baggage size postponed for a year ...........7 EU/Iran: Solana to meet inadequate investment ...........................4 Electricity markets: Independent Larijani on 25 April ..............................13 Research and development: EU study confirms Commission’s findings ...... 8 EU/Latin America/Caribbean: lagging far behind USA on private Energy: Ministers repeat talk EU reiterates its commitment to research spending ...................................4 on efficiency and renewables .................8 Latin America in Santo Domingo ........13 Flexicurity: Trade unions condemn EU/US: Summit to focus on Financial services, banks, pessimistic attitude of business ...............9 regulatory barriers and climate change ...14 insurance Education: Research needs a Financial services: A smart future more important role, says Presidency .....9 In Brief ....................................................15 for payments in the EU ..........................5 Advanced therapies: Vote on Financial services: Commission draft regulation divides Parliament .......10 New Publications ..............................16 consults on private investment ...............5 Economic & monetary affairs, People .....................................................16 Sectoral policies taxation Justice and Home Affairs: Budget consolidation: Eurogroup EU Agenda .............................................18 Council reaches consensus on makes commitments for 2008 ..............10 fighting illegal immigration ....................1 Taxation/VAT: For and against reverse Interview Justice and Home Affairs: Ministers charges: the Council’s arguments ............11 MEP Françoise Grossetête in favour of a procedure to protect (EPP-ED, France): Advanced critical infrastructure ................................ 6 Institutions therapies: The Vatican interferes .........30 Justice and Home Affairs: Civil Transparency: Access to documents justice and drug prevention still inadequate, say NGOs ...................12 Open Forum programmes approved ............................7 European Parliament: Payment Do high excise duties on tobacco European contract law: Ministers services and advanced therapies promote a ‘smoke-free Europe’? ................ 31 make modest progress on agreeing on the agenda ........................................12 a common position .................................7 Europolitics is published in French under the name Europolitique. ISSN 1811-4121 Sold by subscription only © reproduction strictly prohibited in any language www.europolitics.info 4 Monday 23 April 2007 N° 3292 EUROPOLITICS TELECOMS Report warns against inadequate investment By Nathalie Vandystadt the United Kingdom or the United states. jobs since 1999, says the report. The “It is very difficult to maintain asymmet- development of next-generation networks Rambøll Management published a ric regulation and at the same time try to means that the operators require employ- report on 19 April on the results of a fuel the investments in the next genera- ees in specific occupational categories, study concluding that it is difficult to tion networks,” says the report. it adds, citing Denmark as an example verify a direct link between regulation The report also claims that a number where within the next five years, 20% of in the telecomsTAB&2%.PDF sector and investment, of experts point to the asymmetric regu- the skilled technicians will retire. This will either in Europe or the United States. lation in the EU and the diminished present a serious recruitment challenge According to the study, the European fixed-line revenues as the main reason for telecoms operators since “the need for Commission has focussed too closely on for this situation. investment is not only in regard to infra- competition at the expense of encour- Another point made in the report is that structure but also in human capital”. n aging much-needed investment. Invest- employment in the telecommunications ment in certain European countries, sector has been declining since the dot. The report is available at www.europolitics. such as France and Germany, is particu- com crash. The US and the EU15 have info => subscribers => advanced search larly low compared with levels in Japan, experienced a loss of more than 300,000 => reference = 77913 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EU lagging far behind USA on private research spending Eurostat data rate of -12% for manufacturing, and -6% (15.6%) and Finland (10.9%). n for services, while for every Spending on research and development other country both these Business R&D expenditure (1) by business was almost 50% higher in the trends were positive. in million euro and by sector of activity as a percentage, USA than in the EU in 2003, according Specific figures are pro- EU25 and selected countries — 2003 Total Total in EUR