Enhancing Competitiveness and Growth (Extract from: Results of the Competitiveness Council, 10th November)

Brussels, 11th November 2003

The Council held an exchange of views on this point focusing on the basis of two questionnaires prepared by the Italian Presidency.

Q.1 on the horizontal role of the Competitiveness Council and on impact assessment.

Q.2 on Research

Commissioner Erkki Liikanen in response to the first question said that the Commission is strongly committed to ensuring that competitiveness is properly taken into account in the proposals it presents to the Council and the European Parliament and that it has already put in place a system to assess the economic, social and environmental impact of its key legislative proposal, public consultation and through impact analysis being crucial instruments to this end. He further added that while adopting its work programme for 2004, the Commission had presented over 40 proposals that will undergo an extended impact assessment before adoption.

DN: MEMO/03/226 Date: 11/11/2003