Date of release : 09-05-2005

Policy area : Competitiveness (Internal market, Industry and Research) Competitiveness (Internal market, Industry and Research)

Event : Competitiveness Council

Jeannot Krecké, Minister for the Economy and Foreign Trade will lead the Competitiveness Council on Tuesday 10 May 2005, in Brussels.

The Council will start with a lunch dedicated to Industrial policy. Günter Verheugen, the Commissioner in charge of Entreprise and Industry, will present the new European Commission (EC) sectorial approach, with a view to pave the way for an EC Communication on Industrial policy, expected by July 2005.

The Council will subsequently address the micro-economic components of the Integrated Guidelines (IG), in the frame of the Lisbon Strategy. As general instruments for economic coordination, these IG aim to ensure the general economic consistency of the three dimensions of the Lisbon Strategy: economic, social and environmental, and to make it possible for Member States to prepare their National Action Plans (NAP).

EU Ministers of the Economy will further look into the Commission proposal for a decision establishing a Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) (2007-2013).

Ministers will finally review the situation in the textile sector and will be briefed by the European Commission on the status of negotiations over the ITER project.