Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn 2012-13
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COUNCIL OFTHE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 13 May 2013(OR. en)

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CO EUR-PREP 25POLGEN 57

NOTEFrom:On:To:Subject:

Presidency13 May 2013Permanent Representatives Committee/CouncilEuropean Council follow-up:= Presidency Report on the implementation of EC conclusions

This report presents the state of play in implementation of priority orientations set out in theconclusions of the European Council. Where appropriate, next steps and Presidency intentions arealso indicated.This report is issued under the responsibility of the Presidency, in order to allow the GeneralAffairs Council to fully play its horizontal coordination role and in order to inform preparations forthe June European Council.

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HORIZONTAL MATTERS1.Multiannual Financial Framework -legislative work ongoingFollowing the agreement reached at the February EC on the MFF 2014-2020, work isprogressing on the relevant legislative acts.2.European Semester -ongoing within CouncilAs in 2011 and 2012, various formations of the Council have held discussions on the AnnualGrowth Survey. The IE Presidency has organised the process in light of the EC orientations ofOctober 2012, focusing on improving dialogue and increasing ownership. The country-specific recommendations presented by the Commission end May will be agreed in Council inJune and endorsed by the June EC.

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS3."Two-pack" -in forceThe "Two-pack" proposals were adopted in April and will enter into force in May 2013. Acode of conduct on budgetary plans will be endorsed by the ECOFIN Council in June.4.TSCG -in forceThe Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance entered into force on 1 January 2013and has already been ratified by 17 Member States. Ratification continues in the remainingsignatory countries.

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Deepening EMU -ongoing within CouncilWork is in progress according to the roadmap set out by the December 2012 EC on fourpillars: ex-ante coordination of national reforms; social dimension of EMU; contractualarrangements for competitiveness and growth; and solidarity mechanisms for Member Statesentering such contractual arrangements. Various Council formations held debates on theseissues: EPSCO in February, ECOFIN in March and informal COMPET Ministerial in May.On 20 March 2013 the Commission adopted a Communication on ex-ante coordination ofnational reforms which could be followed by a legislative proposal in the coming months. Italso adopted a Communication on an convergence and competitiveness instrument. ACommunication on the social dimension of the EMU may be adopted before the summer. .Work will continue in preparation of the June EC. Discussions continue in the Eurogroup onan operational framework, including the definition of legacy assets, which would allow theESM, once an effective single supervisory mechanism is established, to recapitalise banksdirectly.

Banking supervision -agreement reachedAn agreement was reached in April with the EP on the EBA Regulation. Following nationalparliamentary scrutiny procedures, this should allow adoption of both the ECB Regulationand the EBA Regulation in June/July.

Bank resolution and deposit guarantee- ongoing within the CouncilWork is progressing on the two Directives (BRR and DGS) within Council. A generalapproach on BRR is expected in May, which would allow the start of trilogues in parallel onthe two Directives as early as June. The Commission is expected to present a new proposal fora single resolution mechanism in June; work will start promptly on this proposal, in order toallow its adoption during the current EP term.

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Capital requirements -agreement reachedThe European Council of 14-15 March 2013 concluded that progress towards a moreintegrated financial framework is urgently needed to restore normal lending, improvecompetitiveness and help bring about the necessary economic adjustments. The Councilcalled for final agreement on the new rules for banks’ capital requirements to be reached bythe end of that month. An agreement was subsequently reached with the EP on the relevantRegulation and Directive (CRR and CRD IV) on 27 March 2013. Technical preparation isprogressing at a rapid pace, in order to allow formal adoption and publication by end June2013, which would result in the application of the new rules from 1 January 2014.

MiFID -ongoing within the CouncilIn 2012, the EC called for agreement on the proposals relating to markets in financialinstruments, bearing in mind the objective of having a single rule book. Significant progresshas been made within the Council. The only outstanding issues are access to trading venuesand central counterparties and transparency. A general approach appears within reach in thecoming weeks, allowing the start of negotiations with the EP in June.

10.

Credit rating agencies -adoptedAgreement reached with EP, formal adoption completed in April.

11.

Structure of EU banking sector -awaiting proposalThe December 2012 EC invited the Commission to follow-up to the proposals of the highlevel expert group on the structure of the EU banking sector (Liikanen report). Proposals areexpected in the second half of 2013.

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COMPACT FOR GROWTH AND JOBS12.Single Market Act I -ongoingFour priority levers of the SMA I were adopted: standardisation, unitary patent, venturecapital and social entrepreneurship funds, dispute resolution for consumers; agreement hasbeen reached on the accounting directive. A first reading agreement appears possible duringthe IE Presidency on the public procurement package and recognition of professionalqualifications. Work progresses on the TENs proposals (TEN-E adopted) and on theCEF.Progress on the TEN-TELE guidelines has been stalled in light of the reduction in thebudget. The Commission will publish a revised proposal at the end of May. This delay meansthat not all elements of the CEF will be agreed during the IE Presidency but substantialprogress towards an agreement is expected. Work progresses also on the Posted workerswith the objective to reach an agreement in Council in June. E-identification and signaturecould be concluded by end 2013. More detail on the status of each file is available in theannex. Energy taxation is reported separately below under point 32.13.Single Market Act II -ongoingProposals not yet presented by the Commission regarding Blue Belt package, long-terminvestment access, payment services and multilateral interchange fees, e-invoicing for publicprocurement. A Commission proposal on retail payment accounts was adopted on 8 May.Work progressing within Council on fourth railway package, insolvency rules, reducing thecost of broadband deployment and product safety package; adoption for all these should bewithin reach during current EP term. More detail is available in the annex.14.Supplementary pension rights -ongoing within CouncilFollowing the call for progress in this area by the EC (June 2012), the CY and IE Presidenciesre-launched discussions. An informal lunch discussion took place at the February EPSCOCouncil; work at WP level continued throughout the IE Presidency term with the aim to makeas much progress as possible in order to achieve agreement during the current EP term.

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15.

Youth employment-ongoingThe Commission presented the "Youth Package" in December 2012. An agreement wasreached on the proposed Recommendation establishing a Youth Guarantee at the EPSCOCouncil in February 2013 . The implementation of the Euro 6 Billion Youth Initiative iscurrently negotiated in the context of the ESF Regulation. The Quality Framework forTraineeships is now in second-stage social partner consultations. The Commission will set upthe European Alliance for Traineeships and will launch a stakeholder consultation ondeveloping a programme on EURES jobs for young people.

16.

Governance of labour policies-ongoingWork is ongoing in relevant committees on the implementation of the more enhancedgovernance structure for employment policies presented in the Employment Package of April2012. . The deployment of the Employment Performance Monitor (EPM) and relatedbenchmarking tools, including a Reform Tracking Device, is underway following theendorsement of the EPM at December 2012 EPSCO.

17.

Labour mobility-ongoingEU Skills Panorama presented by the Commission in December 2012. Negotiations with EPon the EU Programme for Social Change and Innovation 2014-2020, which will incorporatethree existing programmes including EURES EU-level actions, are expected to be finalisedunder the IE Presidency. A Commission Implementing Decision on EURES, adopted inNovember 2012, will enter into force on 1 January 2014. A legislative proposal on EURESreform is expected in the autumn. The Commission has presented a proposal for a Regulationon promoting the free movement of citizens and businesses by simplifying the acceptance ofcertain public documents (amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012) end of April.

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18.

Services -work ongoing at Commission levelThe Commission is working on the implementation of its Governance and ServicesCommunications presented to the June 2012 EC; no new legislative work is envisaged, but theCommission is pursuing a "zero tolerance" policy relating to infringement, has started a peerreview in December 2012 and is preparing a voluntary charter for electronic Points of SingleContact. The Council is keeping progress under review in the context of the annual State ofSingle Market Integration Report within the framework of the European Semester.

19.

Smart regulation -ongoing within CouncilThe Commission published a Communication on EU Regulatory Fitness in December 2012and a Communication on "Smart Regulation - Responding to the needs of SMEs" in March2013. The May COMPET Council is expected to adopt conclusions on better regulation,responding to both communications and inviting the Commission to present concreteproposals to implement its findings on the "Top Ten" most burdensome regulations for SMEsin June 2013. The Commission has started its internal mapping exercise and the firstproposals for simplification and reducing regulatory burden under its regulatory fitness(“REFIT”) programme are expected in the autumn.

20.

European Research Area -ongoing at Commission levelThe EC has called for the completion of the ERA by the end of 2014. Following the adoptionof conclusions on the Commission's ERA Communication in December 2012, in which theCouncil endorsed the five ERA priorities, the Commission is expected to present its firstannual ERA progress report in September 2013. The February 2013 COMPET Councildiscussed the related Commission Communication "Towards better access to scientificinformation: Boosting the benefits of public investments in research".

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21.

Horizon 2020 and COSME -trilogues ongoingFollowing the votes in the EP ITRE Committee in November 2012, trilogues started inJanuary 2013 on both programmes. Progress has been good and a provisional first readingagreement on both files during the IE Presidency is possible. Final agreement is linked to theMFF negotiations.

22.

Single innovation indicator -awaiting Commission documentThe State of the Innovation Union 2012 was issued by the Commission in March 2013 and isexamined by the Council. The Commission proposal on the headline indicator for innovationis now expected in the second half of 2013, ahead of the October EC.

23.

Joint programming in innovation -ongoingThe EC called in February 2011 for the development of joint programming in innovation.Work has been ongoing in this area (since 2009, 10 joint programming initiatives presentedby the Commission). The IE Presidency organised a broad Joint Programming Conference inMarch 2013 and a policy debate takes place at the May COMPET Council.

24.

Copyright -ongoing within the CouncilAs called for by the March 2012 EC, the Commission adopted a proposal on collective rightsmanagement in July 2012. In response to the request of the October 2012 EC, work has beenaccelerated at technical level within the Council.. The IE Presidency is planning aninformation point on the state-of-play for the May Competitiveness Council.

25.

Energy Market and infrastructure -implementation ongoingImplementation of the action plan presented by the Commission in November 2012 forcompletion of the IEM by 2014. Regarding infrastructure, the TEN-Energy guidelines wereadopted on 21 March (also a priority measure under SMA I). The Commission has presenteda consultative Communication on the Future of Carbon Capture and Storage in Europe on 27March and a Communication on Energy Technologies and Innovation on 2 May respectively.

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26.

Digital single market -ongoing within Council / awaiting Commission proposalsThe March 2013 EC invited the Commission to report on the state of play and the remainingobstacles to be tackled so as to ensure the completion of a fully functioning Digital SingleMarket by 2015, as well as concrete measures to establish the single market in Informationand Communication Technology as early as possible. Work is progressing on the proposal fore-identification and signature (part of SMA I) and the proposal for high-speed broadbanddeployment (part of SMA II)). Proposals are expected in June 2013 on the Payment ServicesDirective, multilateral exchange fees, e-invoicing for public procurement (all part of SMA II).A proposal on retail payment accounts was adopted by the Commission on 8 May.Commission update of State Aid guidelines for broadband was adopted in March. .Negotiations with the EP on the TEN-Telecom guidelines postponed following budgetreduction of the telecom chapter of the Connecting Europe Facility. Work is expected toresume on the TEN-Telecom guidelines in June on the basis of a revised proposal from theCommission.

27.

EIB capital increase -completedThe increase of the EIB's paid-in capital by EUR 10 billion, announced in the Compact forGrowth and Jobs, has been completed. The relevant decision of the EIB Board of Governorswas taken in December 2012 and the respective capital was paid by end March 2013. The EIBoperational plan foresees an additional lending of EUR 20 bn per year over 2013-2015 as aresult of the capital increase.

28.

Project bonds- ongoing at EIB and Commission levelAfter the signing of the cooperation agreement with the EIB in November 2012, a pipeline ofpossible projects is being considered by the EIB. As requested by the March EC, theCommission and the EIB will report in June on the possibilities and on the targeted prioritiesthat should be identified.

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29.

FTT enhanced cooperation -ongoing within CouncilOn the basis of letters received from 11 Member States, the Commission presented a proposalfor a Council Decision authorising enhanced cooperation for an Financial Transactions Taxon 23 October 2012. The Council Decision was adopted by Ecofin in January 2013. TheCommission presented the proposal on the substance on 14 February. The examination attechnical level is ongoing.

30.

CCCTB -ongoing within CouncilFirst technical examination concluded. Following the state-of-play report adopted at theDecember 2012 ECOFIN Council, the IE Presidency organised bilateral meetings with allMember States with a view to submitting to the high level WP a note on the approach to theorganisation of future technical work in this area. This approach was agreed by the HighLevel WP in March and a compromise text on the Common base was circulated by thePresidency in April.

31.

Savings taxation -ongoing within the CouncilThe EC had already on several occasions called for rapid agreement on the revision of theSavings Tax Directive and on the negotiating mandate for savings taxation agreements withthird countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and San Marino). This ismentioned as a priority measure also in the Compact for growth and jobs. The IE Presidencyfirmly intends to accelerate work in the light of the May EC orientations in this regard.Therefore the Directive and the negotiating mandate for third countries have been placed onthe Agenda of the May ECOFIN with a view to reaching political agreement on the formerand adoption of the latter file.

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32.

Energy taxation- ongoing within the CouncilThe Commission proposal was presented in April 2011 and repeatedly prioritised by the ECin its conclusions. It is part of the SMA I. Progress on the file was addressed at the December2012 ECOFIN Council. The IE Presidency has undertaken work at technical level on theissues highlighted in the report.

33.

Tax evasion -ongoing within the CouncilThe EC prioritised this issue in March 2012 as well as in the Compact for Growth and Jobs. InJuly 2012, the Commission adopted a Communication on concrete ways to reinforce the fightagainst tax fraud and tax evasion including in relation to third countries. The November 2012ECOFIN adopted Conclusions setting out common guidelines in the field of tax evasion andfraud. In December 2012, the Commission adopted an action plan to strengthen the fightagainst tax fraud and tax evasion and two recommendations on aggressive tax planning andgood governance in tax matters in third countries. The May ECOFIN Council adoptedconclusions on this issue and work will continue in the light of the May EC discussion on thisissue.

34.

Reporting on state of play in the field of taxation- expected for JuneAs requested by the EC in March 2012, the next regular report by the Commission andCouncil on the state of play in the field of taxation will be issued for the June ECOFIN.

REGIONAL POLICY35.Macro-regional strategies -awaiting reportsIn line with the EC conclusions of June 2011 and December 2012, evaluation reports areexpected in June 2013 on the Baltic Sea Strategy and the Danube Region Strategy. Animplementation report on the Baltic Sea Strategy is also expected in June. A CommissionCommunication on a maritime strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian sea basins is expected laterin 2013.

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JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS36.Common European Asylum System -agreement reachedThe EC has repeatedly confirmed the objective of completion of the Common EuropeanAsylum System by the end of 2012. While this deadline could not be met, negotiations arenow completed on all building blocks of the CEAS. The legislative procedure is finalisedregarding the Qualifications Directive. On 27 March Coreper confirmed the agreement withthe EP on the Procedures Directive and the EURODAC Regulation; agreement had alreadybeen reached at the end of 2012 on the Reception Conditions Directive and the DublinRegulation. These four acts will be adopted as a package in June 2013.37.Schengen governance -contacts with EP ongoingThe June 2011 EC mentioned as priorities the proposals on Schengen governance (evaluationmechanism and temporary reintroduction of border controls). After an agreement at the June2012 JHA Council on the substance of the two proposals, work on these, and a number ofother files, has been suspended by the European Parliament. Negotiations resumed in autumn2012 but stalled, inter alia over the bridging clause requested by the EP. The IE Presidency ispursuing exploratory talks with the EP with a view to resolving the outstanding issues.38.Stockholm programme- work to start on strategic guidelines by the ECIn December 2009, the EC had invited the Commission to present a midterm review of theStockholm programme before June 2012. The Presidency prepared a mid-term review underits responsibility for the JHA Council in December.39.Schengen enlargement- ongoing within the CouncilThe December 2012 EC invited the Council to revert to the issue of the full application of theSchengen acquis to Bulgaria and Romania in March 2013. The March 2013 JHA Council hadan exchange of views on the state of play, following which the Presidency concluded that theCouncil will address this issue again by the end of 2013 with a view to considering the wayforward on the basis of a two-step approach.

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40.

EUROSUR -trilogues ongoingThe EC has called for the European Border Surveillance System to be further developed so asto become operational by 2013. The Commission presented in December 2011 the proposalproviding the necessary legal underpinning of the system. Trilogues are ongoing on the basisof the mandate approved by Coreper in October 2012; significant progress was made in themost recent trilogue on 22 April. Agreement on the latest compromise text will be sought atCoreper on 15 May, with a view to reaching overall agreement with the EP at the trilogue on29 May.

41.

Smart borders -ongoing within CouncilOn 28 February 2013 the Commission presented the three legislative proposals, mentioned bythe EC already in June 2011, which provide for the establishment of an entry exit system, aregistered travellers' programme and the related amendments to the Schengen Borders Code.Their examination is underway at working party level.

42.

Insolvency rules- ongoing within the CouncilThe Commission adopted the proposal for the modernisation of the Insolvency Regulation inDecember 2012. This proposal is a priority for the IE Presidency in the area of justice and apriority lever of the SMA II. The Presidency has started technical work on the proposal; themost recent working party meetings took place on 5, 24 and 25 April and 13 May. ThePresidency intends to finalise the first technical examination of the proposal. An orientationdebate will be held at the JHA Council on 6thJune where Justice Ministers will be invited tosupport guidelines for future work on this proposal.

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TRADE43.Trade agreements with key partners -ongoingThe Compact for Growth and Jobs identifies the negotiation, signing and conclusion of tradeagreements as a priority measure. Work is ongoing in the various bilateral and multilateralnegotiations. A third Trade and Investment barriers report was presented by the Commissionon 1 March. After the final report of the EU-US High Level Working Group on 13 February,on 12 March the Commission proposed negotiating directives for a Transatlantic Trade andInvestment Partnership with the US; the Presidency aims to adopt the negotiating mandate atthe FAC (Trade) on 14 June. FTA negotiations with Thailand were launched on 6 March, andwith Japan on 25 March. Negotiations with Canada remain in their final stages. TheCommission is considering the most opportune time to progress negotiating directives for aninvestment agreement with China. This is in the context of preparing for an EU-China summitlater this year.44.Trade agreements with neighbouring countries-ongoingNegotiations for a DCFTA with Morocco were launched on 1 March 2013. Scoping exercisesare underway with Tunisia and Jordan. The Presidency remains committed to the ECobjective of finalising DCFTAs with the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Armenia and,under the terms of the Council Conclusions of 10 December 2012, signing the agreement withUkraine, by the time of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November.45.International Procurement instrument -ongoing within the CouncilThe Compact for Growth and Jobs foresees the rapid examination of the Commissionproposal on access to public procurement markets in third countries. Work is ongoing withinthe Council on the proposal submitted by the Commission on 26 March 2012.

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ENLARGEMENT46.Serbia -ongoing within the CouncilAs requested by the EC in December 2012, the Commission and the HR issued a jointprogress report on 22 April, following political agreement reached between Serbia andKosovo on normalisation of relations. The report recommends the opening of accessionnegotiations. The examination of the report is ongoing within Council and will be on theagenda of the June GAC. The June EC will revert to the issue as appropriate.47.Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia -ongoing within the CouncilAs requested by the EC in December 2012, the Commission issued its progress report on 16April. The examination of the report is ongoing within Council and will be on the agenda ofthe June GAC. The June EC will revert to the issue as appropriate.

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ANNEXState of play on the key proposals of the Single Market Act (I+II)

This note presents a general overview of the state of play regarding the priority measures of theSingle Market Act I and II. It aims to inform delegations and the President of the EC on currentprogress, planned steps and areas where further political impetus may be required, in light oftimelines mentioned in EC conclusions.

A. SMA I

StandardisationEC deadline: June 2012.Current status: Published, Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of theCouncil of 25 October 2012 (OJ L 316, p. 12 of 14.11.2012). Date of application 1 January 2013.

Unitary PatentEC deadline: June 2012.Current status: EU legal acts adopted and in force (20 January 2013). Signing of the UPCagreement took place in the margins of the COMPET Council (19 February 2013). Member Statesagreed on the modalities for implementing the UPC at the inaugural meeting of the PreparatoryCommittee (26 March 2013). Participating Member States agreed on an exclusivelyintergovernmental approach.Planned steps: Next meetings of the PrepCom to take place end of May and end of June.

Venture capitalandSocial entrepreneurship fundsEC deadline: June 2012.

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Current status: Published, Regulation (EU) No 345/2013 of the European Parliament and of theCouncil and Regulation (EU) No 346/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of17 April 2013 (OJL 115 of 25.04.2013).

Dispute resolution for consumersEC deadline: June 2012.Current status: Adopted in April 2013.

Accounting DirectiveEC deadline: June 2012.Current status: Agreement reached at the trilogue of 9 April 2013.Planned steps: EP Plenary vote in June, formal adoption to be completed during IE Presidency.

Public procurementEC deadline: December 2012.Current status: General approach on the whole package (3 Directives) reached in December.Trilogues ongoing since March, latest on 23 May.Planned steps: Next trilogue on 28 May. Trilogues and technical meetings with the EP take place invery tight succession and the Working Party and COREPER are constantly involved.Comments: The EC deadline was missed, including due to the EP timetable. The Presidency isinvesting a maximum effort; given the intensive work, a first reading agreement by the end of the IEPresidency appears possible.

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Mutual recognition of professional qualificationsEC deadline: December 2012.Current status: Coreper and gave a mandate for negotiations with the EP on 1 March. Triloguesongoing, latest on 24 April.Planned steps: Next trilogue on 29 May. The IE Presidency aims to reach a first reading agreementon the file.Comments: The EC deadline was missed due to the speed of progress in negotiations and takinginto account the EP timetable, but work is accelerating and a first reading agreement by the end ofthe IE Presidency appears possible.

E-signatureEC deadline: December 2012.Current status: The proposal was adopted in June 2012. A progress report was presented at theDecember TTE (Telecom) Council.Planned steps: A progress report is planned at the June TTE (Telecom) Council. Coreper reviewedthe file in March 2013.Comments: The EC deadline was missed given the late Commission proposal and the technicalwork involved. The objective is to reach agreement by the end of 2013.

Connecting Europe FacilityEC deadline: December 2012.Current status: The proposal (CEF) was adopted by the Commission in October 2011 and is closelyrelated to the MFF 2014-2020. A partial general approach was reached at the June 2012 TTECouncil. Following agreement on the MFF at the February 2013 EC, trilogues started on 19 March.

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Planned steps: Trilogues continue (next one on 15 May) with the aim of reaching a first readingagreement during the IE Presidency.Comments: The EC deadline was missed due to delays, including the horizontal negotiations on theMFF. A first reading agreement during the IE Presidency is dependent on EP consent on the MFFand agreement on the TENs guidelines for Transport and for Telecoms. Consistency will have to beensured with the three TEN proposals: Transport, Energy, and Telecommunications.

Trans-European networks (energy)EC deadline: December 2012.Current status: Published, Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of theCouncil of 17 April 2013 (OJL 115, 25.4.2013).

Trans-European networks (telecommunications)EC deadline: December 2012.Current status: The proposal was adopted in October 2011. A progress report was presented at theDecember 2012 TTE (Telecom) Council. The EP ITRE committee vote took place in November2012.Planned steps: Start of trilogues postponed pending Commission clarification on the content of theproposal following cut in Telecom section of CEF. The Commission has decided to revise itsproposal in light of the European Council conclusions of February 2012 on the MFF and is expectedto publish this revised proposal at the end of May 2013.Comments: Consequently, the EC deadline was missed and while work will be progressed , anagreement will not be possible during the IE Presidency. An agreement during the LT Presidencyshould be possible. Consistency will have to be ensured with CEF.

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Trans-European networks (transport)EC deadline: December 2012.Current status: The proposal was adopted by the Commission in October 2011. A general approachwas reached at March 2012 TTE Council. The EP TRAN committee vote took place on 18December 2012.Planned steps: Trilogues started on 20 February with the aim of reaching a first reading agreementduring the IE Presidency. Next trilogue on 29 May.Comments: The EC deadline was missed due to EP timetable but agreement during the IEPresidency appears possible. Consistency will have to be ensured with CEF.

Posted workersEC deadline: December 2012.Current status: Progress reports were presented to the EPSCO Council in June and December 2012.Coreper considered the most sensitive issues (Articles 9 and 12) in March and again in May on thebasis of IE Presidency compromise text.Planned steps: The EP EMPL Committee vote is foreseen end of May 2013. The IE Presidencyaims to reach a general approach at the June EPSCO Council.Comments: The EC deadline was missed given the date of submission of the proposal, the rate ofprogress and the timetable of the EP, but work on difficult political issues is progressing andagreement by the end of 2013 appears possible.

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B. SMA II*

Fourth railway packageEC deadline: May 2014.Current status: Proposals adopted by the Commission on 30 January. Work has started at WP level.Orientation debate on "interoperability proposal" at TTE Council on 11 March.Planned steps: Possible general approach on the "interoperability proposal" at the TTE Council on10 June.Comments: Given that the "package" contains 6 proposals, their examination will be pursued in2013 and 2014.

Blue Belt packageEC deadline: May 2014.Current status: Work not started.Planned steps: Proposal expected from the Commission in June 2013.Comments: Any further delays in the presentation of the proposals may hamper prospects foradoption during the current EP term.

Long-term investment accessEC deadline: May 2014.Current status: Work not started. The Commission adopted a Green Paper on long-term financingon 25 March 2013.

*

This note does not include the action plan for the implementation of the Single EuropeanSky, the action plan for the 3rd energy package and the decision on EURES development,which fall within the competence of the Commission.ODDQPG6

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Planned steps: Proposal expected from the Commission in June 2013.Comments: Any further delays in the presentation of the proposals may hamper prospects foradoption during the current EP term.

Modernisation of EU insolvency rulesEC deadline: May 2014.Current status: Proposal adopted by the Commission on 12 December 2012. First WP meeting tookplace on 14-15 February; most recent meeting on 13 May.Planned steps: The Presidency intends to complete the first technical examination of the proposal.Comments: Adoption by the end of the current EP term should be within reach.

Revision of Payment Services Directive & Proposal for multilateral Interchange FeesEC deadline: May 2014.Current status: Work not started.Planned steps: Proposal expected from the Commission before summer 2013.Comments: Any further delays in the presentation of the proposals may hamper prospects foradoption during the current EP term.

High-speed broadband deploymentEC deadline: May 2014.Current status: Proposal adopted by the Commission on 27 March 2013.Planned steps: Work at WP level during IE Presidency. A state of play by the Presidency will beprovided at the TTE Council on 6 June.Comments: Adoption by the end of the current EP term should be within reach.

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E-invoicing for public procurementEC deadline: May 2014.Current status: Work not started.Planned steps: Proposal expected from the Commission in June 2013.Comments: The topic has not been on the agenda of the WP previously. Any further delays in thepresentation of the proposals may hamper prospects for adoption during the current EP term.

Product safety packageEC deadline: May 2014.Current status: The proposals (two Regulations) were adopted by the Commission on 13 February2013. Presentation of the proposals in the COMPET Council of 19 February.Planned steps: The IE Presidency will continue work on the proposals at WP level, with a view tocompleting a first read through of the proposal.Comments: The IE Presidency and upcoming Presidencies are committed to make progress on thepackage so that adoption can take place during the current EP term.

Basic payment accountsEC deadline: May 2014.Current status: Work not started.Planned steps: Proposal published by the Commission on 8 May 2013.Comments: Initial consideration of the proposal is likely to begin during the IE Presidency.

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