The Council's Operational Programme (documents
(b) and (c))
7. The two Council documents are very similar; document
(b) was a draft that was replaced by document (c) once the Financial
Perspective for 2007-13 had been agreed in principle at the European
Council in December 2005.
8. The programme lists initiatives in a wide range
of areas, and emphasises the following:[8]
- the results of the "period
of reflection", following the defeat of the Constitutional
Treaty in referendums in France and the Netherlands, will be assessed
in the first half of 2006, and will be followed up in the remainder
of 2006 "depending on its outcome";
- the agreement on the Financial Perspective will
be followed up by negotiations on an Interinstitutional Agreement,
which it is hoped will be finalised by June 2006;
- the Lisbon Strategy will be taken forward, with
its emphasis on growth and jobs, at both national and EU level,
with "particular priority … given to implementing the
agenda of better regulation";
- the EU strategy for sustainable development will
be renewed by the European Council in June 2006;
- the 2004 Hague Programme on freedom, security
and justice will be evaluated on the basis of an assessment of
progress by the Commission and possible changes will be assessed;
- in relation to enlargement, monitoring of Bulgaria
and Romania will be stepped up and the accession negotiations
with Croatia and Turkey will be taken forward; and
- the principal objectives in the area of external
relations will be to enhance security, stability and democracy
as well as alleviating poverty, "addressing other root causes
of instability and contributing to an effective multilateral system".
9. The two Presidencies also declare themselves "committed
to completing the negotiations on the Directive on Services".[9]
8 Operational Programme of the Council, pp. 4-7. Back
9
Operational Programme, p. 17. For our Reports, see (25354) 6174/04;
HC 42-xii (2003-04), para 4 (10 March 2004), HC 38-iii (2004-05),
para 1 (12 January 2005). Back
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