ANNEX
Draft Council conclusions
on
national contributions to the European Initiative for Growth
In March 2004, the Council invited the Commission to report to the
European Council (through Ecofin), on the implementation of initiatives at
national level, to increase growth and growth potential and which could enhance
the positive impact of the European Initiative for Growth.
The (Ecofin) Council welcomes the second reports by Member States on
their contributions to the European Initiative for Growth and notes that a
number of Member States have taken steps to reinforce the Initiative by
national actions, some of them with the financial support of the EIB. The
Council welcomes these contributions.
The Council would like to draw the attention of the European Council to
the issues below, and in this context, notes that the expected
impact of the Initiative on public investment differs according to transport
infrastructure, telecommunications, and R&D and innovation investment:
- The
improvement of transport infrastructure is part of current national economic
strategies in a majority of Member States. Some countries have redirected
public expenditures to accelerate investment in key transport infrastructure projects.
In other countries the Initiative did not significantly affect investment plans
for 2004 and 2005.
-
While investments in telecommunications infrastructure
are principally market-driven, a number of countries provide direct or indirect
support to the development of high-capacity networks, notably in sparsely
populated and remote areas.
-
With regard to R&D and innovation investment, a
number of Member States have taken steps to promote private sector
participation. In several key technological areas identified in the Quick-start
Programme, strategic research agendas have been or are being defined by public
and private stakeholders, and are expected to lead to the launch of projects
and the development of research infrastructures.
-
Many countries have made efforts to develop the
mobilisation of private resources in infrastructure financing, notably through
improving the framework conditions for PPPs.
In line with the request by
the European Council, the Commission and the European Investment Bank will
provide a mid-term evaluation of the Initiative by the end of 2007. To this
effect, the Commission and the Member States will have to ensure that the
relevant information on the national measures taken in support of the
Initiative, will be made available.
The Council invites the Member
States to pursue efforts, through budgetary planning and the improvement of the
non-financial conditions to investment, to ensure the implementation of the
Quick-start cross-border infrastructure projects as well as innovation and
R&D projects, thereby enhancing the overall impact of the Initiative. The
Council underlines the need to pursue these efforts in a context of sound
budgetary policies as well as stability and growth oriented macro policies, and, in accordance with the
ECOFIN conclusions of November 2003, to only prioritise projects that are
assessed to be economically and financially viable.
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