FT.com on Mr. Barroso, President of the European Commission, and on the Lisbon Agenda:
"[...] Visitors to José Manuel Barroso's 13th-floor office at the European Commission in Brussels soon ask themselves a question: what is this man doing here? The new Commission president speaks colourless, managerial language about facilitating co-operation in a Europe of nation states. He is also, as a 90-minute conversation confirms, an unashamed economic liberal. [...]
Among the results that business would like to see this year are a single, cost-effective EU patent, a directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions and a cut in regulations affecting industry. [...] More controversially, he said it would reconsider its decision to liberalise the car components market, a proposal that had been giving car manufacturers heartache.
But if the Lisbon programme is to have a chance of success, the most important improvement would be a streamlined decision-making process. In a position paper to be released today, the BDI, the German industry federation, says the Commission and European parliament bear a heavy responsibility as the initiators of legislation that should be scrutinised to ensure "it does not unilaterally burden business". The document says EU aid to research should be more narrowly focused, the Commission should outline criteria to test future EU legislation for its effect on competitiveness and it should push harder for the opening of energy and services markets and of government tenders. At the same time, says Jürgen Thumann, new BDI president, responsibility for achieving the Lisbon goals lies mainly with member states, by means such as tax cuts. [...]"
So, hopefully Mr. Barroso will not be prepared to accept any inadeqate outcome of the current quarrel on the Draft Directive on computer-implemented inventions (CII).
In this context, also Document 16299/04 of the EU Council titled "Operational Programme of the Council for 2005 submitted by the incoming Luxembourg and United Kingdom Presidencies" is of some relevance:
"[...] With a view to improving the Intellectual Property regime, the two Presidencies will explore possibilities to find solutions for the Community patent. They will aim at final agreement on the proposal on the patentability of computer- implemented inventions. Furthermore, they will seek progress on copyright and related rights and on design protection for spare parts and the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement. [...]"
It won't be that easy for the anti-patent campaigners to destruct the patent system in Europe.
FT.com on Mr. Barroso, President of the European Commission, and on the Lisbon Agenda:
"[...] Visitors to José Manuel Barroso's 13th-floor office at the European Commission in Brussels soon ask themselves a question: what is this man doing here? The new Commission president speaks colourless, managerial language about facilitating co-operation in a Europe of nation states. He is also, as a 90-minute conversation confirms, an unashamed economic liberal. [...]
