The
second meeting of the EU's Council of Ministers under the mandate of
the Greek EU Presidency will take place in Brussels on 26 May 2014.
Kostas Hatzidakis, Minister for Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks, will chair the Council for the industry and internal market points.
The European Commission will be represented by Vice-President Antonio
Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship; Vice-President
Joaquín Almunia, Commissioner for Competition; Commissioner Michel
Barnier responsible for Internal Market and Services and Commissioner
Karel De Gucht, responsible for Trade.
In the
afternoon, Christos Vasilakos, Secretary General for Research and
Technology at the Ministry for Education and Research, will chair the
Council for the research and space points. The European Commission will
be represented by Vice-President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for
Industry and Entrepreneurship and Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, responsible for Research and Innovation.
INDUSTRY
eCall: automated emergency call for road accidents mandatory in cars and vans
The Council is expected to adopt
a general approach on a Regulation requiring the mandatory equipment of
all new models of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles with the
eCall in-vehicle system. The e-call system aims at mitigating the
consequences of serious road accidents across the EU by reducing the
time it takes for emergency services to locate accidents.
The "eCall" system automatically
dials 112 - Europe's single emergency number - in the event of a
serious accident and communicates the vehicle's location to emergency
services, even if the driver is unconscious or unable to make a phone
call. This allows emergency services to provide assistance to vehicle
drivers and passengers more quickly and as a consequence will help to
save lives and to treat injuries rapidly. The system also helps reducing
secondary accidents caused by unsecured accident sites. It is estimated
that eCall can speed up emergency response times by 40% in urban areas
and 50% in the countryside, and save up to 2500 lives a year (MEMO/13/547).
In addition to the road safety benefits, eCall can also have a
significant impact on reducing the congestion caused by traffic
accidents. The eCall system remains dormant and is activated only in
case of accident. When it is dormant, it does not allow cars to be
located.
The European Parliament supported the
introduction of the eCall system in the vehicle type-approval
legislation and adopted its position on the proposal on 26 February
2014. After receiving a mandate by the Council, the Presidency is
expected to start negotiations with the European Parliament as soon as
possible with a view to reach an early second reading agreement.
More information on eCall:
Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) – state of play
Key Enabling Technologies (KETs)
are the indispensable technological bricks which drive innovation in
many traditional and newly emerging sectors and provide a major source
of employment in Europe. EU is a global leader in the development of
KETs, however, it has difficulty to translate its knowledge base into
goods and services. KETs are one of the priorities in the Commission's
re-industrialization strategy, as highlighted by the recent
Communication for a European Industrial Renaissance.
The EU strategy for KETs aims to
close the innovation gap in KETs and to reverse the trend of
deindustrialisation, to accelerate the rate of transfer, use and
exploitation of KETs in the EU in order to stimulate growth and jobs.
The European Council in its
conclusions of 20/21 March 2014 underlined the crucial importance of
KETs for Europe’s industrial competitiveness and called to strengthen
KETs of high industrial interest such as batteries for electro-mobility,
intelligent materials, high performance production and industrial
bioprocesses by swiftly identifying projects of European interest. This
could be done by creating Important Projects of Common European Interest
(IPCEI). The IPCEI Communication, which will soon be adopted by the
Commission in the context of the modernisation of State Aids, highlights
the importance of this instrument for KETs.
Vice-President Tajani will
inform Ministers about on-going implementation of the KETs strategy. A
significant progress has been made in adapting and aligning different
European instruments in support of KETs deployment (in particular H2020,
Structural Funds, EIB) and work is also ongoing in support of SME’s
specific needs as well as regarding the promotion of the required
industrial skills. Vice-President Tajani will also underline that
implementation of the European Council Conclusions and of the EU
strategy for KETs will require strengthened cooperation between the
different industries, large Companies and SMEs, and the stakeholders
involved.
More information on KETs:
Revision of the EU list of Critical Raw Materials, and way forward on the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials
Securing the supply of raw
materials is key to the competitiveness of Europe’s companies. This is
why the Raw Materials Initiative was adopted in 2008, later renewed in
2011. Vice-President Tajani will inform the Council on a significant
progress made in implementing this initiative.
Vice-President Tajani will also
present a new list of critical raw materials for the EU which will be
adopted by the Commission on the same day. Two main parameters are taken
into account to measure whether a raw material is critical or not: its
economic importance and the risk of supply. 20 raw materials are now
considered critical by the EU. The 2014 critical raw materials list
includes 13 of the 14 materials identified in the previous list of 2011,
with only tantalum moving out of the list (thanks to a lower supply
risk). Six new materials are included: borates, chromium, coking coal,
magnesite, phosphate rock and silicon metal. The purpose of the list is
to contribute to the implementation of the EU industrial policy and to
ensure that European industrial competitiveness is strengthened. It
should also help to incentivise the European production of critical raw
materials and facilitate the launching of new mining activities.
Furthermore, the list is being used to help prioritise needs and
actions. For example, it serves as a supporting element when negotiating
trade agreements, challenging trade distortion measures or promoting
research and innovation. The new report also contains recommendations
for the next exercise which is planned in 2016.
Significant progress has also been
made on the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials. The High
Level Steering Group of the Partnership adopted an ambitious Strategic
Implementation Plan, which proposes a series of concrete actions, both
technological and non-technological, and in the international
cooperation field. More than 800 partners from all over Europe have
recently committed to implement it, in the framework of 80 “Raw
Materials Commitments”, recognised by the High Level Steering Group. In
the coming years, the European Innovation Partnership and the Horizon
2020 programme are expected to drive progress in a wide range of areas.
The Commission will produce a Communication on the EIP to explain how
the Commission itself (represented by three Commissioners for Enterprise
and Industry, for the Environment and for Research and Innovation), the
Member States, industry, academia and NGOs intend to work together to
put the Strategic Implementation Plan into practice.
More information on raw materials:
Towards a shared EU-ESA vision for space fostering competitiveness...
The Council will adopt
conclusions on the future of EU-ESA relations, as a follow-up to the
Commission’s progress report from February this year (COM(2014)56). The
conclusions confirm the importance and need for establishing
appropriate, stable and transparent relations between the two
organisations in order to maximise the impact of European investments in
space, and make the best use of competencies available in Europe. The
Council is expected to welcome the Commission’s intention to perform an
impact assessment on a range of options for the evolution of the EU-ESA
relations – among which a revision of the 2004 EU/ESA framework
agreement or the creation of an “EU pillar” within ESA – before
presenting any future proposals. According to the Council, this
assessment should be done in cooperation with the Director General of
ESA and should take into account, among other aspects, possible impacts
on the industrial landscape and competitiveness of the European space
industry. The Council further stresses the importance of having a
long-term European vision and strategy for all major space activities in
Europe (at national and European level) as a tool to achieve
optimisation of public resources and skills and implement an efficient
and effective European space policy.
More information on EU-ESA:
Sentinel 1A: the first images of the first ever Copernicus satellite
Vice President Tajani will inform Ministers about the first ever Copernicus satellite (Sentinel-1A) which was successfully launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on 3 April 2014 (IP/14/357).
Two days after launch, Sentinel-1A has passed its initial instrument
checks and technical verifications of the ground segment. The first raw
image taken by the radar instrument of the satellite reached the
Svalbard ground station in Norway on Sunday 6 April. The first data were
then transmitted to southern Italy's Matera ground station, before
being automatically sent to the processing and archiving centre in
Farnborough, United Kingdom, both part of the Copernicus Space Component
ground segment. This demonstrated that the full chain of the
instrument, from commanding to the generation of the final data by the
ground segment, is functioning well. This result was reached at world
record speed, only 2.5 days after the launch of the satellite.
The satellite is not yet in its
operational orbit, nor is it calibrated for supplying true data. These
tasks will be carried out during the commissioning phase, which will
take about three months to complete. According to the Copernicus data
policy, Sentinel-1A data will then be made publicly available. The
preliminary images released by ESA since 16 April already demonstrate
though the societal and economic benefits that will be gained (IP/14/541).
Thanks to its radar equipment,
and unlike many other observation satellites, Sentinel-1A will operate
day and night, see through rain and clouds, sweeping in a systematic way
the whole globe (i.e. the same area will be covered every 12 days). It
will image landmasses, coastal zones and shipping routes at high
resolution. It will monitor sea ice and the arctic environment; survey
marine oil-spills; and detect ships in coastal zones for maritime
security. It will also spur the growth of the observation service
industry, contribute to climate monitoring, as well as provide support
in emergency and crisis situations.
Sentinel-1A was built by an
industrial consortium led by Thales Alenia Space Italy as Prime
Contractor. Astrium was responsible for the construction of the radar
equipment. Arianespace was contracted to launch the spacecraft.
More information:
INTERNAL MARKET
Trade mark package
The Council will discuss
progress on the review of the European trade mark system. On 27 March
2013, the European Commission presented a package of initiatives to make
trade mark registration systems all over the European Union cheaper,
quicker, more reliable and predictable (IP/13/287).
The aim of the reform is to make it easier for businesses to be
innovative and to benefit from more effective trade mark protection
against counterfeits, including fake goods in transit through the EU's
territory.
As regards fees, the Commission
proposed a principle of "one-class-per-fee" that applies both for
Community trade mark applications and for national trade mark
applications. This should enable any business – particularly SMEs – to
apply for trade mark protection according to their actual business
needs, at a cost that covers those individual needs only. Consequently
at EU level, businesses should be able to pay substantially less when
seeking to obtain protection for one class of product only.
Commissioner Barnier will stress
the importance of the trade mark package as a key element of the
Union's strategy on competitiveness and encourage Member States to
further pursue their efforts to conclude the first reading of the trade
mark package in the Council.
More information:
'Trade Secrets' Directive
The Council will also discuss the so-called Trade Secrets Directive. On 28 November 2013, the
European Commission proposed new rules on the protection of undisclosed
know-how and business information (trade secrets) against their
unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure (IP/13/1176).
They include the introduction of a common definition of trade secrets,
as well as means through which victims of trade secret misappropriation
can obtain redress. The draft Directive would make it easier for
national courts to deal with the misappropriation of confidential
business information, to remove the trade secret infringing products
from the market and make it easier for victims to receive damages for
illegal actions.
Trade
secrets are used by companies of all sizes in all economic sectors to
protect a wide range of different information. They are particularly
important for smaller businesses that lack the human and financial
resources to seek out, manage and enforce a large portfolio of
Intellectual Property Rights.
Commissioner Barnier will
congratulate the Greek Presidency for its excellent work on reaching
agreement on a Council general approach on this dossier. The
Commissioner is also expected to emphasise the importance of the
initiative for innovation and growth and highlight the need to achieve a
balanced approach.
More information:
Unitary patent and UPC
The Commission will present an
information point on the progress concerning the Unitary Patent and the
Unified Patent Court (UPC). The EU Regulations creating the Unitary
Patent were adopted in December 2013, but their entry into application
is dependent on the ratification of the UPC Agreement by a sufficient
number of Member States (13 Member States, including France, Germany and
the UK). To date, Austria, Belgium, France and Malta have ratified the
UPC Agreement. On 25 May, Denmark will hold a referendum on the issue.
In parallel, technical implementation work by the relevant committees of
the Member States is taking place. While the March European Council
called for a rapid ratification of the UPC Agreement and the carrying
out of the necessary legal and administrative arrangements so that the
Unitary Patent regime can enter into force by the end of 2014, the
ratification progress and the pace of the technical implementation
remains too slow.
Commissioner Barnier will recall
the importance of the Unitary Patent and the UPC for the
competitiveness of Europe and encourage Member States to ratify the UPC
Agreement and finalise the technical implementation without delay. The
Commissioner is also expected to propose holding an in-depth debate on
the state of implementation at the Competitiveness Council in September.
More information:
RESEARCH
Research Infrastructures
The Council is expected to adopt conclusions on the prioritisation of research infrastructure projects included in the roadmap
of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). The
prioritisation has been carried out by ESFRI in response to Council
conclusions on the European Research Area adopted in December 2012. The
Council is expected to welcome ESFRI's contribution, and to endorse the
outcome of the prioritisation. Member States are expected to confirm
their commitment to focus available national resources on the respective
priority projects they are financially participating in.
Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn
will welcome the work of ESFRI and the Council conclusions and highlight
the importance of world-class research infrastructures that are openly
accessible to European researchers. She will underline the Commission’s
willingness to support the priority projects by providing exceptional
financial support through the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2014-2015 in
complementarity to the Member States’ funding. She will also welcome
ESFRI's planned update of the roadmap.
Mediterranean Cooperation
The Presidency will lead a
follow up discussion to a debate on closer research cooperation in the
Mediterranean area held at the 13 May informal Competitiveness Council.
Several Member States support a move towards long-term, structured
cooperation on the basis of Article 185 of the EU treaty. Member States
will be asked whether they support the idea of such an initiative.
European Innovation Partnerships
Since 2011, five European Innovation Partnerships
(EIPs) have been launched to accelerate research, development and
market deployment of innovations to tackle major societal challenges,
pool expertise and resources and boost the competitiveness of EU
industry.
The Commission committed from
the outset to assess progress and evaluate the overall performance of
the EIPs in 2013. To this end, it set up an independent expert group
under the chairmanship of Mr Esko Aho, which issued a report in February.
The Presidency will report on an
exchange of views on the EIP evaluation held at the 13 May informal
Competitiveness Council. Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn will welcome the
main conclusions of the expert group and provide information on the
progress of the EIPs.
Public Sector Innovation
Fostering innovation in the public sector can have a significant impact on the economy.
Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn will inform on
progress made in the follow-up and implementation of the recommendations
of the expert group on public sector innovation, as welcomed by
Ministers during the discussion at the 3 December Competitiveness
Council.
