Sohn: Political will to create growth

Source: Deens voorzitterschap Europese Unie 1e helft 2012 i, published on Wednesday, May 30 2012.

On 30 May, together with other European ministers, the Danish Minister for Business and Growth set a footprint on the growth agenda in Europe. The Competitiveness Council discussed a number of the initiatives to cre-ate growth in the Single Market Act.

Today Danish Minister for Business and Growth Ole Sohn hosted the second meeting in the Competitiveness Council during the Danish EU Presidency. The initiatives in the Single Market Act to boost growth were top of the agenda.

The Danish Minister for Business and Growth said:

“At today’s Council meeting, we have come a big step closer to implementing vital growth initiatives in the Single Market Act, as the heads of state in the European Council has requested. I am very satisfied that there was broad support in the Council at the meeting on the following:

• the proposals for alternative and online despite resolution which will strengthen the access to dispute resolution services for con-sumers in the EU, for example when trading online,

• the COSME-program which will strengthen the competitiveness and growth especially in small and medium size enterprises,

• council conclusion on how to strengthen the Single Market and the Digital Single Market through increased focus on governance and correct implementation of the existing rules, and

• a progress report on the simplification of the European public procurement rules.”

It is the ambition of the Danish Presidency to have agreement in Council on up to half of the 12 key initiatives in the Single Marked Act before the end of the Danish Presidency. In addition to the general approach on the proposals for alternative and online despite resolution this includes first reading agreements with the European Parliament on the proposals on single market for venture capital and socio-economic investment funds and the standardisation packages, a general approach in Council on the revision of the accounting directives and a final agreement on the Unified Patent Court.

Contact:

Troels Blicher Danielsen, Ministry of Business and Growth, Email: trd@evm.dk, tel.: +45 33 95 45 41

Henrik Røjgaard, Ministry of Business and Growth, Email: hrg@evm.dk, tel: +45 33 92 41 99