WRITTEN QUESTION E-0662/01 by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Council. Lisbon European Council and information networks.
Date: 2001-03-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Council, European social policy, action programme, exchange of information, information network, marginalisation, social security

C 340 E/62

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

The Council has noted with interest the Commission initiatives to reinforce the networking of R & D
actions and the financing of innovation by risk capital. It has also acknowledged the efforts currently being
made by the European Investment Bank in (cid:145)the i2i initiative(cid:146) to support the creation of the European
Research Area, using, inter alia, the European Investment Fund and in particular the analyses undertaken
by the Bank and the Commission for potential cooperation to support actions under the Fifth and Sixth
research framework programmes.

In this context, the recent Council Decision on a multiannual programme for SMEs (2001-2005) should be
noted. This amounts to € 450 million over five years and is directed largely to innovation and RTD take-
up.

Moreover, the Council has noted the Commission(cid:146)s intention, announced in its report to the Stockholm
European Council on the progress achieved in setting up ERA, to undertake a comparative study in good
practices relating to support for research and innovation by fiscal measures and to establish a specific
framework for cooperation with the EIB.

The Council will also examine all relevant measures put forward by the Commission in its recently
submitted proposal for the 2002-2006 research framework programme.

The Stockholm European Council has reviewed this strategy and given new orientations.

Several reports of the Council and the Commission submitted to the Stockholm European Council reflect
progress in some Member States. In particular there has been progress in the development of venture
capital market, taxation encouraging bussiness expenditures on R & D, remedies to the fragmentation of
Europe(cid:146)s R & D efforts and in the creation of a business environment more favourable to innovation and
technological progress. Nevertheless much remains to be done in the relation between science and
industry. Of particular relevance are the Council Report on the Annual Report on Structural Reforms 2001
and the Commission Report on the implementation of the 2000 Broad Economic Policy Guidelines.

The Stockholm European Council has notably endorsed the objective of a well functionning risk capital
market by 2003 trough the implementation of the Risk Capital Action Plan.

(2001/C 340 E/071)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0662/01

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Council

Subject: Lisbon European Council and information networks

(8 March 2001)

The 2000 Lisbon European Council invited (cid:145)the Council to strengthen cooperation between Member States
by exchanging experiences and best practice on the basis of improved information networks which are the
basic tools in this field [social protection].(cid:146) What specific steps have been taken in this regard and how is
progress being monitored?

Reply

(13 July 2001)

Following on from the Lisbon European Council, the Commission submitted on 19 June 2000 a proposal
for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a programme of Community
action to encourage cooperation between Member States to combat social exclusion by improving
knowledge, developing the exchange of information and best practices, evaluating experiences, and by
promoting dialogue and supporting networking at
the European level between relevant bodies and
organisations. The Decision has not yet been adopted, the second reading in the European Parliament
being currently in progress.

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/63

According to the draft action programme, a Committee is to be established to assist the Commission, and
it will be regularly informed about progress.

In addition, the activities of the Social Protection Committee have largely the same objective as the action
programme, and a close link with this Committee has been foreseen during the implementation of the
action programme by the Commission and the Member States.

(2001/C 340 E/072)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0663/01

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Lisbon European Council and information networks

(6 March 2001)

The 2000 Lisbon European Council invited (cid:145)the Council to strengthen cooperation between Member States
by exchanging experiences and best practice on the basis of improved information networks which are the
basic tools in this field [social protection].(cid:146) What specific steps have been taken in this regard and how is
progress being monitored?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(23 May 2001)

The (cid:145)information networks(cid:146) referred to in the question relate to the co-operative exchange between
Member States on social protection issues which has been ongoing since the mid-1990s. This exchange
had become more structured and focused since the Commission(cid:146)s Communication of 14 July 1999 entitled
(cid:145)A Concerted Strategy for Social Protection(cid:146) (1). Following this, in December 1999, the Council supported
the Commission(cid:146)s proposal for stronger mechanisms to strengthen this co-operation and the High Level
Working Party on Social Protection was established on an interim basis (2). The Social Protection
Committee (SPC) was formally created by Council Decision 2000/436/EC (3) of 29 June 2000 to replace
the Working Party. When the Treaty modifications agreed at the Nice European Council come into force,
the Committee will have a legal base in the EU Treaty (new article 144).

In order to develop appropriate, commonly agreed indicators in the field of social protection, and while
recognising that there is considerable diversity in Member States(cid:146) approaches in this regard, the Social
Protection Committee has recently created an indicators sub-group to work in this field.

The focus of this policy co-operation since March 2000 has been determined by the mandate of the Lisbon
European Council which sought to concentrate work on two policy areas, i.e. the fight against poverty and
social exclusion and the provision of safe and sustainable pensions. The Nice European Council of
December 2000 gave renewed mandates for the continuation of work in both areas.

In relation to pensions, the Lisbon European Council requested a study on the long-term evolution of
social protection, giving particular attention to the sustainability of pension systems. There was good co-
operation on this and a progress report was submitted to the Nice European Council. On the basis of
a questionnaire designed by the SPC, national reports which set out the Member States(cid:146) approaches to
pension reform were submitted during February 2001. These will form the basis for a study to be
presented to the G(cid:246)teborg European Council in June 2001.

In relation to the fight against poverty and social exclusion, the Lisbon European Council committed
Member States to making a (cid:145)decisive impact on the eradication of poverty(cid:146). The Nice European Council
agreed a set of (cid:145)appropriate objectives(cid:146) to form the basis for a major policy focus in this regard. On the
basis of these objectives, Member States will submit before 1 June 2001 National Action Plans which set
out their policies to fight poverty and social exclusion during the two year period from mid-2001 to mid-