13/07/2010 • Issue 1

Belgian EU Presidency Business Newsletter

Brussels calling
CONTENTS

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Informal Environment Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Priorities of the Belgian Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Economic and Financial Affairs Council . . . . . . . . . . 9
In the spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Events and meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Informal Competitiveness Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Informal Employment and Social Affairs Council . . 6 Team presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Editorial
Belgian EU Presidency: capacity to innovate. Therefore, an effective research,
development and innovation policy, as well as a cleantech
huge challenges ahead to
industrial policy should be developed. This is the only way
re-establish growth to turn Europe’s current technological leadership in clean
The Belgian EU Presidency will face technologies into market leadership. The Federation of
huge challenges: restore financial and Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) welcomes for example the
economic stability, re-establish fiscal ambition of the Belgian Presidency to unblock the EU
discipline and guarantee a swift return patent system which is an indispensable instrument for
to sustainable growth. Therefore, eco- growth and innovation for the industry, especially for SMEs.
nomic and financial issues will be at
As Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme stated in the
the heart of the agenda.
European Parliament on July 7, we need “more Europe to
The Belgian government’s EU get our Union and its member states in higher gear”.
Presidency programme will focus on Favouring the ‘méthode Communautaire’ (the Community
major priorities aiming at putting in place a new financial method) is at the core of Belgium’s policy. Our Federation
regulatory structure, strengthening the economic gover- fully supports this approach.
nance of the EU, reinvigorating the internal market, rein-
It is crystal clear that Belgium takes over the Presidency
forcing the Stability and Growth Pact and, last but not
under very difficult circumstances. But our country is well
least, implementing the Europe 2020 strategy. The latter
prepared to guide Europe during the next six months. FEB
requires real ownership by the member states, who will
will do its part to contribute to the success of this EU
have to show their ability to implement structural reforms
Presidency.
quickly.
Diane Struyven
Furthermore, measures will be taken to enhance Europe’s Director of the European Department of the FEB

Priorities of the Belgian Presidency

On July 1, Belgium took over the rotating presidency of tion with the European Parliament and the Commission,
the Council of the European Union (EU) from Spain. For the Presidency will try to reconcile different points of view
the 12th time in the history of the European construction, and formulate compromises in order to take the political
Belgium will lead the work in the different configurations decisions that Europe needs to get back on track after a
of the Council, with exception of the European Council period of deep economic crisis. Expectations for the
and the Foreign Affairs Council. Working in close coopera- Belgian Presidency are high, as the EU is facing multiple

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 In the spotlight
economic, financial, social and environmental challenges at the same
time. In order to ensure more continuity in the work of the EU, as required The 8th European Business Summit
by the Lisbon Treaty, Belgium has aligned its priorities with the 18-month
BUSINESSEUROPE and the Federation of
common work programme of the ‘Trio of Presidencies’. The main initiatives
Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) organized on
of the Belgian Presidency which matter most to business in Europe are sum-
June 30 - July 1 the 8th European Business
marized hereafter.
Summit (EBS) in Brussels
under the heading ‘Putting
Europe back on track’.
Economic and financial affairs Over 2 000 participants
The economic and financial issues will dominate the Presidency’s agenda attended this key forum for
over the coming months. An absolute priority will be to restore financial and business leaders and EU policymakers. One
economic stability and to re-establish budgetary discipline without compro- of the highlights of this year’s Summit was
mising the revival of economic growth. the Presidents’ debate, during which Herman
Van Rompuy (European Council), José M.
Barroso (European Commission), Jürgen R.
First, the Belgian Presidency will focus its attention on the implementation of
Thumann (BUSINESSEUROPE) and Thomas
the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy for employment and growth which will underpin
Leysen (FEB) discussed Europe’s response to
its socio-economic priorities. This ‘post-Lisbon’ strategy, with its five headline
the current economic and financial difficul-
targets and seven so-called ‘flagship initiatives’, encourages structural ties. A summary of all sessions can shortly
reforms and policy measures aiming at reducing harmful competitiveness be found on the EBS website at
gaps between EU mem- www.ebsummit.eu/press-media.
ber states developing a
competitive, sustainable
and inclusive economy. A few quotations from different speakers at
EU countries are expected EBS-sessions:
to present country-specific “A common aspect of all measures put in
targets, e.g. for the place to get Europe back on track,
employment rate, by the is confidence.” (José Manuel Barroso,
end of the year. President of the European Commission)
“The Greek crisis has showed us that the
A second major point on problem of one country in the euro zone,
the agenda will be the implementation of stronger economic governance at is in fact the problem of all euro area
European level and the reinforcement of the Stability and Growth Pact countries. All countries have a responsibili-
ty therein.” (Herman Van Rompuy, President
(SGP). The recent euro debt crisis revealed the lack of economic coordina-
of the European Council)
tion within the EU, and in particular in the euro zone, and significantly
undermined confidence in the common currency. The Belgian Presidency will “The biggest obstacle to the internationali-
sation of our SMEs are non-tariff barriers.
follow very closely the work of the European Council Task Force which will
Those cannot be accounted for in a busi-
issue recommendations on economic governance, including budgetary disci-
ness plan.” (Karel De Gucht, European
pline, a framework for the prevention, management and resolution of crises,
Commissioner for Trade)
and a more rigorous application of the SGP by October. In parallel, the
“Business people prefer carrots to sticks.
European Commission published on June 30 a communication in which it
Let’s therefore tackle climate change with
outlined a number of tools for stronger economic governance in Europe to
positive incentives, rather than taxes.”
be incorporated in a legislative proposal by September – October. The new (Dominique Reiniche, President Coca Cola
rules would be applicable to all EU member states, with stricter conditions Europe Group)
for euro area members. Proposed instruments include the so-called
‘European Semester’ to synchronize the assessment of fiscal and structural
policies of EU member states by the Commission, a scoreboard with eco-
nomic and financial indicators to detect and correct emerging macro-
economic imbalances, and a stronger and more rules-based SGP with a
wider range of incentives and sanctions in case of non-compliance
(e.g. suspension or loss of EU funds). Moreover, the Belgian Presidency
will monitor the implementation of the € 500 billion European stabilization
package which was agreed upon in May this year.

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Third, the Presidency is committed to implement the new
regulatory framework and supervisory structure for the
financial sector in order to improve financial stability and
strengthen consumer and investor protection after the
recent financial turmoil. Its main focus will be on setting up
the new financial supervisory bodies in charge of macro-
and micro-prudential financial supervision in the EU.
Despite the close deadline of January 2011, the European
Parliament decided on July 7 to postpone its vote on the
legislative package in order to reach a final agreement in
first reading by the end of the year. In cooperation with
the Commission and the European Parliament, the
Presidency will also draft a multi-annual action plan, listing
all financial services reforms to be introduced within the
EU. Regarding the resilience and financial stability of finan-
cial institutions, due attention will be paid to the activities
of the Basel Committee and the Financial Stability Board
on capital and liquid assets requirements. The results of
the stress tests on European banks are expected in the
second half of July. Furthermore, the Presidency will exam-
ine legislative initiatives concerning the promotion of
greater security in derivatives market, short-selling and
credit default swaps,
the reinforcement of
European financial
integration (e.g. by
setting a deadline for
the completion of the
Single European
Payments Area (SEPA))
and the reform of
European legislation
on deposit guarantee
schemes. In addition,
the market abuse
directive (on insider
dealing and market manipulation) will be reviewed, and
negotiations on the Alternative Investment Fund
Managers (AIFM) directive aiming at the regulation of
hedge funds and private equity will be continued (especial-
ly regarding the issue of third countries).
Last but not least, in the field of taxation, the Belgian
Presidency is committed to provide ongoing support to
the work of code of conduct groups in the field of business
taxation, concerning the rollback of harmful business taxa-
tion measures, the fight against abuse, relations with third
countries, transparency and information exchange on
transfer pricing, and administrative practices. With regard
to VAT, modernisation of rules applied to the general VAT
system and the combating of tax fraud will be stimulated.
Competitiveness
Matters relating to competitiveness will be high on the
agenda for the next six months as well.
First of all, the Presidency wants to reopen the debate on
the internal market. The Monti report of May 2010 identi-
fied several bottlenecks and missing links which impede its
effectiveness. Attention will therefore be devoted to the
reinforcement and completion of the single market. An
important topic will be the creation of an internal digital
market. In addition, the Commission’s communication on
smart regulation will be debated. Regarding the services
directive which had to be transposed by December 2009,
the Commission will publish by the end of the year the
results of the assessment of national measures implement-
ing the directive.
Second, the Presidency intends to remove the most signifi-
cant barriers to innovation in the EU. The European
Council of October 2010 will therefore be devoted to the
question how Europe’s innovative potential and capacity
can be increased, and the European Council of December
2010 is expected to define guidelines for better coordina-
tion among member states in the field of innovation.
Regarding a Plan for Research and Innovation, the
Presidency favours an integrated approach, addressing
technological, non-technological and social innovation and
targeting the needs of businesses, in particular those of
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The inadequate
protection of intellectual property (IP) has been identified
as a major obstacle to the successful functioning of the
internal market. Hence, a top priority for the Presidency
will be to make progress in the establishment of an EU-
wide patent and a unified patent litigation regime.
Agreement over this dossier has been blocked for years
due to the contentious translation issue. Attention will also
be given to the negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting
Trade Agreement (ACTA) which are expected to be con-
cluded by the end of the year. Regarding research and
development (R&D), the Belgian Presidency aims to devel-
op indicators to measure progress towards the objective of
3% investment in R&D and the roll-out of the European
Research Area (ERA) which aims to encourage the free
movement of knowledge throughout the EU. Important
topics will include the European partnership for
researchers designed to increase researchers’ mobility, the
improvement of the integration of research institutes and
universities within the so-called ‘knowledge triangle’ (i.e.
knowledge – education – innovation), and the role of clus-
ters. In preparation of the 8th Framework Programme for
Research and Development (as of 2014), administrative
simplification and financial controls will be looked at.
Third, on industrial policy, sustainability will be a key
aspect. The main question will be how to accommodate
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the transition to a green European economy which is com-
petitive at world level.
Fourth, regarding infrastructure, the issue of cross-border
infrastructural shortcomings, in energy networks in particu-
lar, will be examined.
Finally, the Presidency will focus on SMEs. Key themes on
the agenda will be access to external markets for SMEs,
administrative simplification and access to finance and
training. Furthermore, the implementation of the Small
Business Act will be re-examined. Regarding commercial
transactions, the Presidency hopes to reach a final agree-
ment on the late payments directive. However, the
European Company Statute has not been mentioned in
Belgium’s Presidency programme.
Employment, social policy and
consumer affairs
First, in the field of employment, the Belgian Presidency is
in charge of the implementation of the European
Employment Strategy, a dialogue between member
states, the Commission and other stakeholders (such as
social partners) on objectives, issues and best practices
relating to employment. During the Presidency, the
Council is expected to adopt a decision on the so-called
Employment Guidelines, common priorities to national
employment strategies in the member states. Within the
context of
the Europe
2020 strate-
gy, the
Belgian
approach
has four
specific pri-
ority areas:
• the encouragement of ‘green jobs’ by setting targets
and policies;
• the stimulation of ‘white jobs’ in the context of an age-
ing society and the adoption of conclusions on career
management techniques;
• the promotion of an inclusive labour market in which all
talents are mobilized, social cohesion and the fight
against any form of discrimination;
• the promotion of ‘flexicurity’ combining labour market
flexibility and employment security.
Access to employment will be a key theme, and therefore
extra attention will be given to youth and senior employ-
ment, and the importance of training and life-long learn-
ing. Furthermore, the Presidency is expected to adopt
conclusions on the promotion of equality of pay between
women and men, and will continue to work on the propos-
al for a directive on the health and safety of pregnant
workers. Regarding employment law, the initial policy
debate on the working time directive following social part-
ner consultations will be pursued, and a debate will be ini-
tiated on how economic changes and restructuring can
proceed in a socially responsible way.
Second, in the field of consumer affairs, the Belgian
Presidency will continue the work on the contentious con-
sumer rights directive which seeks to harmonize con-
sumer protection across EU member states. Proposals on
the harmonization of supervision of consumer rights and
cooperation between the various national supervisory
agents are ex-
pected. In addition, the Presidency will continue to work
on a proposal regulating welfare labelling of food products
for consumers and on the pharmaceutical legislative package.
Energy, transport,
telecommunication
Much linked to the debate
about climate and environmen-
tal policy, the Presidency will
first of all focus on energy poli-
cy. The creation of an internal
energy market will be an
important issue on the agenda.
The Council will examine the
progress of the Commission’s
legislative initiative on the pro-
motion of transparency and
integrity of wholesale markets
in energy. A policy debate on
the Commission’s new energy
infrastructures package to
ensure energy supply will also take place. In addition, the
guidelines for Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E)
will be reviewed. Preparatory work on the new Energy
Action Plan for the period 2011-2020 which will be on the
European Council’s agenda next year, will be continued.
Another important theme will be sustainability. The Belgian
Presidency will initiate a debate on the creation of a
roadmap for a long-term strategy (until 2050) for a low-
CO2 economy. In addition, attention will be devoted to
the development of smart grids which promote energy
savings and decentralized renewable energy sources.
Regarding the external dimension of energy policy, the
Presidency will ensure coordination with a view to energy-
related negotiations.
Second, in the field of transport, efforts by the Council to
reach an agreement on the so-called ‘eurovignette’, which
allows member states to recover external costs generated
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by road haulage, will be followed. Further with regard to
sustainability, the Presidency will start a policy debate on a
new Commission white paper on sustainable transport for
the period 2010-2020 which will focus, among others, on
interconnections between different transport modes and
logistics for goods. The 2007 action plan relating to goods
logistics will also be reviewed from a cross-border point of
view. In terms of Trans-European Networks for Transport
(TEN-T), existing policies will be reviewed in order to
establish an integrated and sustainable European transport
network.
Third, concerning telecommunication, the Commission’s
European digital agenda in the framework of the Europe
2020 strategy will be a priority. A key topic will be the
implementation of next-generation broadband networks.
Furthermore, the Presidency intends to adopt a 2015 e-
government action plan. In addition, a new proposal for a
regulation concerning the security of networks and infor-
mation will be examined. With regard to telephone
charges, attention will be paid to the Commission’s interim
evaluation report on price changes in roaming services,
text messages and data services.
Fourth, the Belgian Presidency will prepare European par-
ticipation in two major international Summits: the 16th
annual United Nations climate conference in Cancún in
November-December 2010 and the 10th Summit on the
Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya in October
2010. In preparation of Cancún, the Presidency will build
further on the results of last year’s Copenhagen Summit
and ensure the EU’s voice is heard during international
negotiations. With regard to the biodiversity conference in
Nagoya, the Belgian Presidency will contribute to the
development of a new biodiversity policy based on
renewed targets.
Fifth, the Commission is expected to bring forward pro-
posals on ecosystem services and biomass sustainability
criteria.
EVENTS&MEETINGS
12-13/07/2010 Informal Environmental Council Ghent
Informal Council on sustainable
materials management for a
resource efficient Europe

13/07/2010 ECOFIN Council Brussels

Climate and environment Council on the supervision
package, AIFM directive and the
Another major area of activity during the Belgian follow-up of the European Council

Presidency will be climate and environment. 14-16/07/2010 Informal Competitiveness Louvain-la-Neuve.

Council
Informal Council on industrial
First, the Presidency will devote continued attention to the policy, SME access to innovation
implementation of the new climate and energy package and simplification of research
programmes
agreed in 2009. Measures setting targets, like a directive
on CO2 emission limits for light commercial vehicles, will 15-16/07/2010 Informal Justice and Home Egmont Palace
Affairs Council Brussels
be discussed.
Informal Council with one
session on asylum & immigration
Second, initiatives will also and one on home affairs

be taken to improve trans- 19/07/2010 General Affairs Council Brussels

parency, coordination and & Foreign Affairs Council

actual application of exist- 7/09/2010 FEB lunch debate with Herman FEB premises,
ing environmental legisla- Van Rompuy, President of the Ravensteinstraat 4,
European Council Brussels
tive instruments (e.g. leg-
islation regarding waste 6-7/09/2010 Informal Energy Council Brussels
Informal Council on the access of
and the harmonization of
energy for vulnerable consumers,
environmental inspection infrastructure and energy efficiency
criteria). In the framework
6-9/09/2010 Plenary Session European Strasbourg
of a policy debate on the Parliament
7th Environment Action
07/09/2010 Second newsletter FEB
Plan, further attention will
be devoted to improve 29/09/2010 FEB lunch debate with Karel De FEB premises,
Gucht, European Commissioner Ravensteinstraat 4,
the definition, manage- for Trade Brussels
ment and application of environmental policy.
28/10/2010 FEB lunch debate with Connie FEB premises,
Hedegaard, European Ravensteinstraat 4,
Third, the Belgian Presidency will focus on economic Commissioner for Climate Brussels
incentives to discourage environmentally harmful behav- Action

iours and promote energy-efficient products and services.

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Sixth, the Presidency will follow up on the 2008 Council
conclusions on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
External relations
First, with regard to enlargement, the Belgian Presidency
is committed to create progress in the accession negotia-
tions with the various candidate member states.
Negotiations with Croatia are entering the last phase.
Progress is also expected in the accession talks with
Turkey. Negotiations with Iceland have just been opened
by the European Council last June. Regarding the Former
Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia, the Presidency will
receive the Commission’s recommendations expected in
October 2010. The Belgian Presidency will also support
the further establishment of closer ties with the Western
Balkan countries which have not yet entered EU member-
ship negotiations.
Second, in the field of trade, efforts towards the comple-
tion of the Doha trade negotiations in the framework of
the World Trade Organization (WTO) are a top priority. The
Belgian Presidency also intends to make progress on the
conclusion of bilateral and regional trade agreements,
notably with South Korea, Canada, India, Ukraine,
Singapore, Mercosur and Euro-Mediterranean (Euromed)
countries. Negotiations with African, Carribean and Pacific
(ACP) countries in view of the establishment of Economic
Informal Employment and
Social Affairs Council (July 6-9, 2010)
From July 6-9, the informal Council for Employment,
Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO)
exchanged views in preparation of more formal talks later
on during the Belgian Presidency.
Public health
On July 6-7, European Ministers for Public Health discussed
several topics, among which the management of the
A/H1N1 flu pandemic. The meeting was chaired by Laurette
Onkelinx (Belgian Minister for Social Affairs and Public
Health), and was attended by John Dalli (European
Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy), as well as
representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), the
European Medicine Agency (EMA) and the European Centre
for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Concerning
A/H1N1, ministers evaluated the way in which the flu pan-
demic of last year was addressed and agreed on a number of
priorities. These include a revision of the European pandemic
Partnership Agreements (EPAs) will also be continued.
Third, the Presidency will be organizing a Summit between
the EU and its Asian partners (ASEM meeting). During the
ASEM meeting in October 2010, common ground will be
sought on the economic and financial governance reform.
Furthermore, an EU-Africa Summit will be organized.
Fourth, the Presidency will support the establishment of
the European External Action Service (EEAS), the new
European diplomatic service led by the High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Catherine Ashton. This service has to improve the coher-
ence, continuity and efficiency of the EU’s external actions.
Justice and home affairs
First, in the area of migration, the Presidency will launch
the debate on legal economic migration within the con-
text of current demographic challenges. It will work on
new proposals regarding procedures for the entry, tempo-
rary stay and residence of intra-corporate transferees and
seasonal workers. Work relating to the establishment of a
single application procedure for a single work and resi-
dence permit for the territory of an EU member state for
non-EU citizens will be pursued.
Second, in the field of justice, a key theme for the Presi-
dency will be the mutual recognition of court rulings.

readiness plan, a fast registration procedure to improve the
availability of vaccines, better communication towards the
general public, the development of a common platform for
the acquisition of vaccines and antivirals (on a voluntary
basis), and enhanced joint management of pandemics.
Employment
On July 7, the Trio Presidency (Spain, Belgium and
Hungary) met with representatives of European social part-
ners, notably BUSINESSEUROPE and the European Trade
Union Confederation (ETUC), as well as with the European
Social Platform (a grouping of European social NGOs) to
exchange ideas on employment and social affairs. The
Belgian Presidency considered it essential to place employ-
ment at the centre of the Europe 2020 strategy and the
new European economic governance. It also pleaded for a
prudent and phased exit strategy concerning the crisis
measures for employment.
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On behalf of BUSINESSEUROPE, Philippe de Buck
(Director-General) addressed the participants. He argued
that in order to protect our standard of living, a combina-
tion of economic growth and fiscal discipline, as displayed
by Germany, is the only way forward. He called for reforms
in both European labour markets, which are in need of
ambitious flexi-
curity policies,
and in
European social
security sys-
tems, which are
under pressure
due to ageing.
Pension reforms
will be of para-
mount importance in this respect. P. de Buck specifically
mentioned the need to increase retirement ages, to dis-
courage early retirement schemes and asked for a better
link between pension contributions and benefits. He also
invited member states to enable companies to provide
cost-effective occupational pensions.
John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade
Union Confederation (ETUC) referred to the joint statement
of the European social partners on Europe 2020. He consid-
ered the promotion of higher retirement ages by the
European Commission “a careless step which will only deep-
en euroscepticism”. On July 7, the European Commission
issued a green paper titled ‘Towards adequate, sustainable
and safe European pension systems’, which launches a con-
sultation on the topic of pension system reform.
Pieter Timmermans, Director General of the Federation of
Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) underlined the importance of
confidence for economic recovery. If companies have confi-
dence, they will invest, and investment will lead to addi-
tional employment. “Employers are the ones who create
jobs, not new rules or regulations,” P. Timmermans argued.
What Europe needs, is confidence, which should be creat-
ed at two levels. Internally, confidence is required to stimu-
late consumption. Externally, Europe needs to improve its
competitiveness, and this entails a policy of wage modera-
tion, because “today’s gains are tomorrow’s investments,
and tomorrow’s investments are our jobs in the future,”
according to the FEB representative. P. Timmermans
added that reforms in both labour markets and pension
systems are urgently required.
On July 8, European Ministers for Employment discussed
various employment-related topics. A first session dealt
with the role of employment within the framework of
the Europe 2020 strategy and the new European eco-
nomic governance initiative. It was acknowledged that
some macroeconomic imbalances at the root of the eco-
nomic crisis in Europe were partially caused by diverging
trends in European labour markets. Coordination between
employment policies and economic governance policies at
European level will therefore be key in restoring European
growth and competitiveness. Employment policies play an
important role in removing constraints to European growth
and competitiveness, both on the labour supply side (e.g.
labour market participation and skills) and the labour
demand side (e.g. encouragement of entrepreneurship and
SMEs, and adequate labour and tax regimes). In this
respect, active labour market policies, flexicurity, appropri-
ate wage-setting frameworks and the monitoring of labour
cost developments are considered important. Coordination
instruments at European level include the Integrated
Guidelines (consisting of Employment Guidelines and
Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (BEPG)) and the
European Employment Strategy, featuring country-specif-
ic employment recommendations, follow-up indicators and
mutual learning through peer reviews. In the presence of
Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council,
the Ministers discussed the effectiveness of different
employment policies, and ways to align the instruments of
the European Employment Strategy with the future cycles
of economic governance and to make them more efficient.
In a second session, methods to cope with the effects of
ageing and climate change on employment were dis-
cussed. It is clear that employment policies should antici-
pate the transition towards an ageing society and a low-
carbon and resource-efficient economy. In the context of
ageing, labour market participation should be increased
significantly (Europe 2020 requires an overall employment
rate of 75% to be reached by 2020) by mobilizing popula-
tion groups currently underrepresented in the labour mar-
ket (such as senior workers). The link with immigration
should also be made. Career organization (work-family bal-
ance) and working conditions (health and safety) will have
to be adapted to encourage older people to remain
employed. Ministers discussed what the EU could do to
assist member states in addressing these challenges.
With regard to climate change, the debate dealt with the
question how employment policies could facilitate the
transition towards a sustainable and green economy. The
development of new green skills and qualifications will be
key in this respect. In addition, the principle of flexicurity
could facilitate the labour market shifts caused by the
green transformation of the European economy. It was also
acknowledged that the social partners may play a privi-
leged role in this field. While recognizing that member
states retain strong powers in employment policy,
Ministers discussed the potential role for the EU in this
field, and whether European funds should play a role in
dealing with the employment impact of climate change.

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 Informal Environment Council (July 11-13)
From July 11 to July 13, an informal Council meeting on
environment takes place in Ghent. The central theme on
the agenda is sustainable materials management. Current
production and consumption patterns are not sufficiently
accommodating the sustainable use of materials. This
results in significant environmental pressures and the
depletion of finite raw materials. Ideas are exchanged on
how EU policy can contribute to the efficient use of natural
resources and raw materials and to the reduction of the
environmental impact from a materials life cycle point of
view. Over the coming days, Flemish Minister for
Environment, Nature and Culture, Joke Schauvliege, will
chair the three sessions of the informal Council meeting.
One week ago, Philippe De Buck, Director General of
BUSINESS-
EUROPE, sent
Ms. Schauvliege
a letter to clari-
fy the position
of European
business. These
included the
need for an
integrated poli-
cy approach at
EU level and the importance of innovation for sustainable
materials management, without locking businesses in artifi-
cial numerical targets.
During a first session on July 12, the European
Environmental Agency (EEA) explained why Europe should
manage materials more sustainably. After this introduction,
a debate was held on the closing of material loops, and
how the EU could promote waste prevention and reduc-
tion as well as recycling.
On behalf of the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium
(FEB), Thomas Leysen (President) gave a presentation on
the sustainable management of materials in Belgium. In
response to the many challenges that still exist in this field,
he made a number of recommendations towards
European policymakers to maintain Europe’s pole posi-
tion in this domain. T. Leysen emphasized the need for a
level playing field for the access to resources, the efficient
use of resources, and closing the loop. For example, he
mentioned the need for a clear legal framework enabling
companies to extract minerals locally instead of importing
them. In addition, he called for harmonized quality and
sustainability standards for biomass, and for a strong
European reaction against trade-distorting export restric-
tions for natural resources and raw materials that harm
European competitiveness. To stay the best in class,
Europe should also foster innovation by stimulating
research and development (R&D). Regarding recycling, he
stressed the importance of a broad view on recycling
instead of only closing material cycles within one applica-
tion and the need for international standards that guaran-
tee efficient recycling processes. Finally, T. Leysen urged
European policymakers to align their strategy for materials
with other European policy domains, such as energy, cli-
mate action and agriculture. Thomas Leysen’s presentation
can be found online at http://eupresidency.vbo-feb.be.
In a second session, member state delegates exchanged
ideas on how the limited availability of some resources can
be dealt with. Future policies will have to go beyond end-
of-pipe solutions such as recycling and should take a more
comprehensive view by looking at the whole material chain
in order to increase resource efficiency. A discussion was
held on how EU policy could stimulate systems innovation
(i.e. new business models, innovative forms of cooperation,
new logistical systems and different consumption patterns)
and contribute to the mainstreaming of ecodesign (i.e. the
design of products with environmental considerations in
mind from the very start).
In a third session on July 13, participants debate on how
existing initiatives at European level concerning natural
resources, sustainable production and consumption, and
waste could be made more coherent in order to reach an
integrated and ambitious EU materials policy.
Furthermore, delegates think about additional policy
instruments (economic, fiscal, regulatory and informational)
to further strengthen EU policy on sustainable materials
management. Also obstacles to the establishment of a
European sustainable materials management policy are
discussed.
Finally, EU Environment Ministers are attending a lunch
debate on the current status of international climate nego-
tiations in preparation of the 16th annual United Nations
climate conference in Cancún in November-December
2010.

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 Economic and Financial Affairs Council (July 13)
On July 13, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council will question arises if Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic,
assemble in Brussels. Several issues are on the agenda. France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal,
First of all, Belgian Minister of Finance Didier Reynders Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain took effective action regard-
will give a presentation on the Belgian priorities for the ing their budgetary commitments. It is expected that the
EU Presidency in the sec- positive assessment of the Commission will be confirmed
ond half of this year. The by the Council. As regards Cyprus, Denmark and Finland,
European Commission will new recommendations on the excessive deficit might be
give a debriefing of the made. A stricter deadline for compliance might be
European Council held on imposed.
June 17 where a first
overview of the work of The Council will formally agree on the enlargement of the
the special Task Force on euro zone with Estonia. An exchange rate between the
economic governance, Estonian kroon and the euro should be fixed.
chaired by Herman Van
Rompuy, was presented. Important political discussions will take place on the finan-
cial supervision package, on the proposal for a directive
An important item on the regarding capital requirements for the trading book and
agenda is the concrete implementation of the Stability for resecuritisations, on the supervisory review of remu-
and Growth Pact. The ECOFIN Council will discuss the neration policies, and on the Alternative Investment Fund
assessment made by the Commission on June 15. The Managers (AIFM) directive.

LINKS

• Website of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

http://www.eutrio.be

• Website on the Belgian EU Presidency of the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB)

http://eupresidency.vbo-feb.be

Informal Competitiveness Council (July 15-16)

On July 15 and 16, EU Ministers for Industry and Research nized as a key answer to different challenges society is fac-
will assemble in Brussels in order to make recommenda- ing nowadays. However, important obstacles to bringing
tions for the future European Plan for Research and innovation into practice persist. To address these obsta-
Innovation. Although research and innovation are two sep- cles, a broad approach to innovation (technological and
arate activity domains of the Competitiveness Council, the non-technological) enabling strong innovation partnerships
Belgian Presidency decided to conduct meetings on both between policy domains and actors, as well as effective
topics at the multi-level governance will be necessary. One of the head-
same time. line targets in the Europe 2020 strategy for employment
and growth is to increase EU research and development
On July 15, (R&D) expenditure to 3% of gross domestic product. The
innovation will private sector will play an important role in this respect,
be the central but this will require improved access to adequate financ-
theme on the ing, especially for SMEs, as well as the development of
agenda. innovative clusters. The European R&D landscape is still
Innovation is fragmented however. Hence, the different policy actions
broadly recog- and funding instruments at EU level should be streamlined,

BrusselsCalling - 9 -
simplified and made more coherent. But also the efforts of
different member states should be better coordinated in
order to exploit more effectively complementarities and
synergies.
On July 16, simplification will be at the centre of the
debate. Participation in the European Framework
Programmes for Research and Development has proven to
be administratively cumbersome and costly, especially for
beneficiaries with limited resources such as SMEs. The
Belgian Presidency has therefore put administrative and
financial simplification on the agenda of the Council, in
preparation of the 8th Framework Programme (FP8) as of
2014. Ministers will exchange views on specific initiatives
to carry forward the simplification process, while preserv-
ing the balance between trust and control.

TEAM PRESENTATION

Presentation of the European Department of the FEB

Diane Struyven
Director of the European Department of the FEB – Permanent Delegate to BUSINESSEUROPE
Tel: +32 (0)2 515 08 34
ds@vbo-feb.be

Michael Voordeckers
Advisor at the European Department of the FEB
Tel: +32 (0)2 515 09 82
mv@vbo-feb.be

Arnaud Thysen
Deputy Advisor at the European Department of the FEB
Tel: +32 (0)2 515 09 31
at@vbo-feb.be

Michiel Humblet
Intern at the European Department of the FEB
Tel: +32 (0)2 515 08 04
Guesteurop@vbo-feb.be

Pieter-Jan Van Steenkiste

Intern at the European Department of the FEB

FEB – Federation of Enterprises in Belgium

Ravensteinstraat 4 – 1000 Brussels – Tel. 02 515 08 11 – Fax. 02 515 09 15

PUBLISHER: Olivier Joris – Wolvenbergstraat 17 – 1180 Brussels

PUBLICATION MANAGER: Stefan Maes – Tel. 02 515 08 43 – sm@vbo-feb.be
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Vanessa Solymosi, Landmarks – sm@vbo-feb.be
COPYRIGHT: Reproduction with acknowledgement of source is permitted

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