Brussels, 28 January 2002
Report on proceedings in the Council's other configurations. Note from Presidency to General Affairs Council. Brussels, 24 January 2002 (25.01) (document 5572/1/02 REV 1 POLGEN 2). Full text
1. Delegations will find below a list of the most important issues currently under discussion in the Council's other configurations, with the exception of the matters dealt with in the conclusions of the General Affairs Council (12 September and 17 October) and the action plan against terrorism and the declarations adopted by the European Council (21 September and 19 October respectively) further to the events of 11 September 2001 in the United States.
Progress on the latter issues is recorded in a "road map", which will now be updated every month.
2. This document should enable delegations to draw the Presidency's attention to any point which they believe has implications for the proper organisation of proceedings in the areas mentioned in this note.
3. The Presidency wishes to stress the importance it attaches - in the context of the follow-up to the Lisbon process and preparations for the Barcelona European Council - to the issues relating to the implementation of the Financial Services Action Plan (pages 2 and 3), the Community patent (page 5) and the work programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education and training systems (page 5).
RESEARCH
At its meeting on 10 December 2001 the Council discussed the following subjects:
Research Framework Programmes (EC and EURATOM) 2002-2006
The Council reached a political agreement on a common position for the EC Framework Programme and an agreement in principle on the EURATOM Framework Programme. This agreement should facilitate the adoption of the 6th Framework Programme within the time limits set by the Stockholm European Council (paragraph 32), i.e. in June 2002 at the latest. The overall budget allocated to the two programmes amounts to EUR 17 500 million, of which EUR 16 0 million is for the EC programme and EUR 1 230 million for the EURATOM programme.
European Research Area
The Council adopted a Resolution concerning the mobility strategy for researchers within the European Research Area, this being an important factor in the implementation of the Area. Among other things, the Resolution invites the Commission to give due emphasis to the importance of the mobility of researchers in the mobility action plan which the Commission will shortly present with a view to the European Council in Barcelona.