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Pre Competiveness Council Statement

My hon Friend the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (Sam Gyimah), has today made the following statement:

The Competitiveness Council will take place on 28 and 29 May in Brussels.

Day one – Internal Market and Industry

The Council will receive a presentation from the Commission on the ‘Competitiveness check-up’ examining linkages between the Internal Market and industrial competitiveness from a sectoral perspective. The Council will discuss the Regulation on Mutual Recognition (part of the ‘goods package’) with the Presidency hoping to reach a general approach. The Council will also hold a policy debate on the Regulation on platform to business relations.

Under AOB the Commission will provide information on recent initiatives in the Digital Single Market, the Copyright Package, the New Deal for Consumers Package, the Company Law Package, Supplementary Protection Certificates for medicinal products and the supplementary protection certificate for medicinal products. The Commission will also provide information on the outcome of initiatives and conferences in the field of tourism and provide an update on the current state of play on the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court.

Day one will conclude with information from the Austrian delegation on their incoming Presidency work programme.

Day two – Space and Research

Day two of the Competitiveness Council will start with a policy debate on the future of European space policy.

The Research sessions will begin with a progress report on the Regulation on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking. The Council will then adopt Council Conclusions on accelerating knowledge circulation in the European Union and Conclusions on the European Open Science Cloud.

During the afternoon session the Council is expected to agree on the Regulation on the Regulation on the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2019-2020). This will be followed by a policy debate on research and innovation within the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

Under AOB, the Commission will provide information on the outcome of the Presidency event dedicated to Space (held in Sofia on 17-19 April 2018).

Day two will conclude with information from the Austrian delegation on their incoming Presidency work programme.