COUCILOF THEEUROPEAUIO EN 6069/09(Presse32) PROVISIOAL VERSIO PRESS RELEASE 2922ndmeetingoftheCouncil Economic and Financial Affairs Brussels,10February2009 President MiroslavKALOUSEK MinisterforFinanceoftheCzechRepublic P R E S S Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0) 2 281 9548 / 6319 Fax: +32 (0)2 281 8026 [email protected] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/Newsroom 6069/09(Presse32) 1 E PROVISIOAL VERSIO 10.II.2009 Main results of the Council TheCouncilreviewedimplementationofthe European economicrecovery plan approvedin December,withaviewtoanoverallassessmentbythe EuropeanCouncilatits springmeeting (19and20 March2009). Itadoptedarecommendationtothe EuropeanParliamentonthedischargetobe giventothe Commissionforimplementationofthe EU general budget for2007 . ItadoptedconclusionscallingontheCommissiontoresumenegotiationonan anti-fraud agreementwith Liechtenstein , soastoobtainchangesthatensureeffectiveadministrative assistanceandaccesstoinformationwithregardtoall formsofinvestment,inparticular foundationsandtrusts. TheCounciladoptedconclusionsonthe singleeuropaymentsarea (SEPA).Whilstreiteratingits support fortheinitiative,theCouncilnotedthecurrent slowuptakeofSEPA products,whichseems tofocusmainlyoncross-border payments.ItconsideredthatthelaunchoftheSEPAdirectdebit scheme scheduledfor1 ovember2009will providenewimpetus forSEPAmigration;whilst underliningtheneedforclarityonlong-term pricingissues,itinvitedtheindustrytoacceleratethe necessary preparatorywork forits successfullaunch. Italsoapprovedtheestablishmentofa" European112Day "topromoteawarenessraising,the sharingofexperienceandnetworkingactivitiesasregardstheuseof112asacommontelephone numbertocontactemergency services. 6069/09(Presse32) 2 E PROVISIOAL VERSIO 10.II.2009 COTETS 1 PARTICIPATS................................................................................................................................5 ITEMSDEBATED PREPARATIONOFTHESPRINGMEETINGOFTHEEUROPEANCOUNCIL .........................7 Europeaneconomicrecovery plan .......................................................................................................7 Keyissues paperoneconomicandfinancial affairs ............................................................................9 ReducedVAT rates ............................................................................................................................10 BUDGETARY ISSUES.....................................................................................................................11 EUgeneral budgetfor2007 ...............................................................................................................11 OTHERBUSINESS...........................................................................................................................12 Shortsellingofsecuritiesandexecutive pay .....................................................................................12 MEETINGS INTHEMARGINSOFTHECOUNCIL.....................................................................13 OTHERITEMSAPPROVED ECOOMIC AD FIACIAL AFFAIRS – Single market review - Council conclusions ..........................................................................................................15 – Single euro payments area - Council conclusions ..................................................................................................17 – Common guidelines for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins – Council conclusions ........................18 – VAT - border bridges between Germany and Czech Republic..............................................................................20 EXTERAL RELATIOS – Anti-fraud agreement with Liechtenstein - Council conclusions ...........................................................................20 – Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - Restrictive measures against extremists ...........................................21 1 Wheredeclarations,conclusionsorresolutionshave beenformallyadoptedbytheCouncil,thisisindicated intheheadingfortheitemconcernedandthetextis placedbetweenquotationmarks. Documentsforwhichreferencesaregiveninthetextare availableontheCouncil's Internetsite (http://www.consilium.europa.eu). ActsadoptedwithstatementsfortheCouncilminuteswhichmay bereleasedtothe publicareindicatedby anasterisk;thesestatements areavailableontheCouncil'sInternetsiteormay beobtainedfromthePress Office. 6069/09(Presse32) 3 E PROVISIOAL VERSIO 10.II.2009 DEVELOPMETCOOPERATIO – EU/Cariforum - Economic partnership agreement.................................................................................................21 – European Development Funds - Discharge for 2007.............................................................................................21 GEERAL AFFAIRS – Proceedings in the Council's different configurations............................................................................................22 JUSTICE AD HOME AFFAIRS – Exempting holders of Indonesian diplomatic passports from visa requirements...................................................22 – Schengen Information System - 2007 budget ........................................................................................................22 EERGY – Ecodesign requirements - Regulatory procedure with scrutiny .............................................................................23 TRASPORT – Inland waterway vessels - Regulatory procedure with scrutiny.............................................................................23 TELECOMMUICATIOS – Establishment of a "European 112 Day"................................................................................................................23 APPOITMETS – Committee of the Regions .....................................................................................................................................25 – CDE - Centre for the Development of Enterprise..................................................................................................25 6069/09(Presse32) 4 E PROVISIOAL VERSIO 10.II.2009 PARTICIPATS PARTICIPANTS Thegovernmentsofthe MemberStatesandtheEuropeanCommissionwererepresentedasfollows: Belgium: Mr Didier REYNDERS Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bulgaria: Mr Plamen Vassilev ORESHARSKI Minister for Finance Czech Republic: Mr Miroslav KALOUSEK Minister for Finance Mr Tomáš ZÍDEK Deputy Minister for Finance, International Relations and Financial Policy Section Denmark: Mr Lars L økke RASMUSSEN Minister for Finance Germany: Mr Peer STEINBRÜCK Federal Minister for Finance Estonia: Mr Raul MÄLK Permanent Representative Ireland: Mr Brian LENIHAN Minister for Finance Greece: Mr Ioannis PAPATHANASIOU Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Spain: Mr Pedro SOLBES MIRA Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance France: Ms Christine LAGARDE Minister for Economic Affairs, Finance and Employment Italy: Mr Giulio TREMONTI Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Cyprus: Mr Charilaos STAVRAKIS Minister for Finance Latvia: Mr Atis SLAKTERIS Minister for Finance Lithuania: Mr Algirdas Gediminas ŠEMETA Minister for Finance Luxembourg: Mr Jean-Claude JUNCKER Prime Minister, Ministre d'Etat, Minister for Finance Hungary: Mr János VERES Minister for Finance Malta: Mr Tonio FENECH Minister of Finance, Economy and Investment etherlands: Mr Wouter BOS Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance Austria: Mr Reinhold LOPATKA State Secretary, Federal Chancellery 6069/09(Presse32) 5 E PROVISIOAL VERSIO 10.II.2009 Poland: Mr Ludwik KOTECKI Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Finance Portugal: Mr Fernando TEIXEIRA DOS SANTOS Ministro de Estado, Minister for Finance Romania: Mr Gheorghe POGEA Minister for Finance Slovenia: Mr Franc KRIŽANIČ Minister for Finance Slovakia: Mr Ján POČIATEK Minister for Finance Finland: Mr Jyrki KATAINEN Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance Sweden: Mr Anders BORG Minister for Finance United Kingdom: Mr Alistair DARLING Chancellor of the Exchequer Commission: M. Siim KALLAS Vice-President Mr Joaquín ALMUNIA Member Ms Dalia GRYBAUSKAITĖ Member Mr László KOVÁCS Member Mrs Neelie KROES Member Mr Charlie McCREEVY Member Other participants: Mr Frank MOSS Director General of the European Central Bank Mr Philippe MAYSTADT President of the European Investment Bank Mr Xavier MUSCA Chairman of the Economic and Financial Committee 6069/09(Presse32) 6 E PROVISIOAL VERSIO 10.II.2009 ITEMSDEBATED PREPARATIOOFTHESPRIG MEETIGOFTHEEUROPEACOUCIL Europeaneconomic recoveryplan TheCouncil: – reviewedimplementationoftheEuropeaneconomicrecovery planapprovedbythe EuropeanCouncilinDecemberinresponsetothe globalfinancialcrisisandeconomic slowdown; – heldanexchangeofviewsonthefinancialaspectsof proposalsaimedat providing additionalsupport,undertheEuropeaneconomic recovery plan,toinvestmentsinthefield ofenergy andinfrastructure,including broadbandinternetandruraldevelopment. Atitsspringmeeting,on19and20March2009,theEuropeanCouncilwillassesshowwellthe recovery planhas beenimplemented. Asregardsadditionalinvestmentinthefieldofenergy,anumberofdelegationsraisedconcerns relatingtothe financing of projectsandaskedthe Commissiontoreviewits proposal.ThePresident oftheCouncilindicatedthatviewsexpressedwill betakenintoaccountwhentheGeneralAffairs andExternalRelationsCouncildiscussestheissueon23February,withaviewtoreaching an agreementwiththeEuropeanParliamentandthe CommissionbeforetheEuropeanCouncil meeting. AdditionalEUinvestmentinenergyandinfrastructure TheEuropeaneconomic