brussels calling, belgian eu presidency, business newsletter, 8/11/2010, issue 6

8/8/2019 Brussels calling, Belgian EU Presidency, Business Newsletter, 8/11/2010, Issue 6

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Belgian EU Presidency Business Newsletter

Brussels calling

8/11/2010 Issue 6

Extension of maternity leave to 20 weeks: abridge too far!

On October 20, The European Parliament voted in favour of a

proposal to extend maternity leave from the current 14 weeks

to 20 weeks across the EU. The basis of the plenary vote was

the report by the Portuguese socialist

MEP Edita Estrela, which was approved bythe Womens Rights Committee in March

2010 and which calls for 20 weeks mater-

nity leave and 2 weeks paternity leave,

both at full pay.

For the FEB this is a bridge too far. It is

not only very concerned about the finan-

cial impact of the proposed directive, but

also about the negative effects on the la-

bor market for women, due to increased costs. For Belgium,

the additional costs would represent at least 160 million

EUR annually, a figure confirmed by the impact assessment

executed at the request of the European Parliament itself. An

evaluation of the situation in the EU shows that some member

states already have extended maternity leave, but combine it

with lower allowances, while other countries pay high allowan-

ces, but for a shorter time. In both type of countries, this

measure would be irresponsibly expensive in times of stret-

ched social security budgets, not to speak about the extra

cost and burden it implies for companies, especially SMEs.

Moreover, the directive would also be detrimental for

womens employment opportunities and would imposeunnecessary constraints towards achieving much higher

female employment rates. The discussion on improving the

work-life balance should not be held in the context of a direc-

tive aimed at protecting womens health.

Last but not least, the proposal would undermine diverse

national systems which offer a mix of different leave arran-

gements. In Belgium, numerous types of leave already exist: a

system of time credit, parenthood leave, leave for personal

reasons, All these systems were already introduced to bet-

ter combine work and life. There is no justification to add new

measures on top of the existing systems. Therefore, the busi-

ness world exhorts the Council to take into account these

arguments.

Editorial

Brussels calling - 1 -

CONTENTS Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Economic and Financial Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Events & meetings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

In the spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Employment and Social Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Social partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Foreign Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

General Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Biodiversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

In the spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

European Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Team presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Diane Struyven,Director of the European

Department of the FEB

Daily updated info on http://eupresidency.vbo-feb.be

Economic and Financial Affairs Council &

Eurogroup (October 18-19, 2010)On Monday, October 18, on the eve of the Economic and

Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council in Luxembourg, the Task

Force on economic governance chaired by Herman Van

Rompuy convened for the last time to present its final

report. The recommendations and concrete proposals out-

lined in the report constitute the biggest reform of the Econo-

mic and Monetary Union (EMU) since the creation of the euro.

Economic and Financial Affairs


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The 16-page document, which was presented almost 7

months after the Task Force was established by the Euro-

pean Council of March 2010, aims at two broad targets:

to make sure that each member state takes into account

the impact of its economic and fiscal decisions on its EMU

partners and on the stability of the EU as a whole; to

strengthen the capacity of the EU to react when member

states policies threaten the Unions stability.

Concretely, for this to be achieved, the Task force

issued advice in five directions.

First of all, greater fiscal discipline should be pursued.

Therefore, it is key that the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP)

is applied in a stricter way. Specifically, more attention

should be paid to debt and fiscal sustainability. For this, the

EU needs a more effective budgetary surveillance mecha-

nism which should focus on the interaction between pu-

blic deficit and public debt. According to the report, brin-ging the deficit below 3% of GDP is not sufficient to gua-

rantee fiscal stability. Therefore, more attention should be

given to the 60% of GDP debt target as set out under the

SGP. Effectiveness should also be increased via awider

range of financial and political sanctions and measures to

be implemented both preventively and correctively. As

for political measures, the Task Force proposes inter alia

enhanced reporting requirements, ad-hoc reporting to the

European Council, enhanced surveillance and, if necessary,

a public report. The recommended financial sanctions inclu-

de interest-bearing deposits, non interest-bearing deposits

and even fines. Initially, these financial sanctions will be ap-

plied only to euro zone members. Later, they will be exten-

ded to non euro zone members as well (except for the

United Kingdom). Finally, the Task Force also recommends

a higher degree of rule-based decision

making. It therefore proposes to intro-

duce a reverse majority rule for the

adoption of enforcement measures.

Secondly, a new mechanism to broa-

den macroeconomic surveillance

should be established. The Task Forcerecommends its establishment since

the economic crisis has shown that

compliance with the SGP is not

enough to guarantee economic sta-

bility. The mechanism should involve annual assessments of

macroeconomic vulnerabilities and imbalances as well as

the risks they pose. In case there are serious imbalances,

member states should be faced with a deadline to take

measures. In the occurrence of repeated non-compliance, it

should be possible to impose sanctions on euro area mem-

bers, the Task Forces argues.

The goal ofdeeper and broader coordination should be

achieved via the introduction of the European

EVENTS&MEETINGS

8-9/11/2010 Justice and Home Affairs Council Brussels

9-10/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Financing the mobility of highereducation students and resear-chers

Mons

9-10/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Careers and mobility of resear-chers

Brussels

10/11/2010 Extraordinary CompetitivenessCouncil

Brussels

10-11/11/2010 Plenary session of the EuropeanParliament

Brussels

11/11/2010 Economic and Financial AffairsCouncil - Budget

Brussels

11-12/11/2010 3rd Knowledge Transfer Forum Implementing the InnovationUnion next steps in knowledgetransfer

Varese, Italy

11-12/11/2010 G20 Summit Seoul, SouthKorea

15/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Strategic Energy TechnologyPlan 2010

Brussels

15/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Group action: a necessity forconsumers

Brussels

15-16/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):

Equality summit equality anddiversity in employment

Brussels

15-16/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Industrial transformations inEurope

Seraing

16/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Symposium on international fiscaldata exchange

Leuven

16/11/2010 Eurogroup meeting Brussels

16-17/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Working longer through better

working conditions and new modesof work and career organization

Brussels

16-17/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Urban freight transport and logis-tics - innovative and sustainablesolutions for Europe

Brussels

16-19/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Positive visions for biodiversity

Brussels

17/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Contribution of science & techno-logy parks to the knowledge eco-

nomy in Europe

Brussels

17/11/2010 Economic and Financial AffairsCouncil

Brussels

Herman Van Rompuy


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semester. Aimed specifically at preventing a recurrence of

the Greek sovereign debt crisis, this third recommendation

was one of the first initiatives the Task Force took to reinforce

fiscal policy coordination. Concretely, the European semester

will be introduced as of 2011 and will consist out of a six-

month cycle which will start every year in March. The semes-

ter will start with the presentation of a Commission report ana-

lyzing each member states economy. Based on this report, the

European Council will identify member states main econo-

mic challenges, and strategic policy advice will be given.

After having received the advice in April, member states will

then review their medium-term budgetary strategies and

lay out national reform programmes. In June and July, before

national budgets are being finalized, the Council will again

assist member states by giving policy advice. The European

semester was already endorsed by the Council in September.

Fourthly, the Task Force believes that there is a great need for

the establishment of a credible crisis resolution framework.In the wake of the financial crisis, the European Financial Stabi-

lity Facility (EFSF) and the European Financial Stability Mecha-

nism (EFSM) have been set up to address financial distress and

to avoid contagion. However, as these bodies have been set

up for a period of three years only, the Task Force considers

that, in order to guarantee financial stability in the medium

term, it is necessary to set up a permanent crisis resolution

mechanism. Given the fact that this would require a treaty

change, further work is needed (see European Council sec-

tion of this newsletter).

Finally, as to achieve more effective economic governance,

the Task Force also urges for stronger institutions both at EU

and at national level. Notably at national level, public institu-

tions should provide independent analyses, assessments and

forecasts on domestic fiscal policy matters to guarantee long-

term sustainability and to reinforce fiscal governance.

On the same day, the Finance Ministers of the Eurogroup con-

vened as well. The ministers discussed the latest developments

regarding the financial stability of the euro area. They also dis-

cussed the preparations of the G20 Finan-

ce Ministers meeting of October 21-23 inGyeongju, South Korea and the G20 Lea-

ders summit of November 11-12 in Seoul.

A day later, on Tuesday October 19, the

ECOFIN Council met under the Presiden-

cy of Belgian Finance Minister Didier

Reynders. Even though the two-day mee-

ting was mainly focused on the presenta-

tion of the final report of the Task Force, a

number of other important issues were scheduled on the se-

cond days agenda as well.

The most sensitive topic was the draft directive on the mana-

gement of hedge funds and other alternative investment funds.

The participants reached an agreement on the so-called Alter-

native Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) directive with aview to allow its adoption at first reading in the European Par-

liament. In line with the commitments made by the EU at the

G20 and as pledged by the European Council, the directive

intends to regulate all market operators whose activities

might pose a risk to financial stability. In concrete terms, the

draft aims to establish EU rules for monitoring and supervising

the risks AIFMs pose to the stability of the financial system. It

also intends to allow them under strict requirements to

provide services throughout the European single market.

The Council also examined a draft directive aimed at streng-thening member state cooperation with regard to direct

taxation. In a context of increased taxpayer mobility and a ri-

sing number of cross-border transactions, the directive would

EVENTS&MEETINGS

18/11/2010 Seminar on the EU market accessstrategy (with the presence ofEuropean Commissioner for TradeKarel De Gucht)

FEB premises,Ravensteinstraat4, Brussels

18/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presiden-cy): Socio-professional integra-tion and equal opportunity: dis-abilities and diversity at work

Brussels

18/11/2010 European SME Summit Brussels

18-19/11/2010 Education, Youth, Culture andSport Council

Brussels

18-19/11/2010 High-level workshop on the 2050strategy for a low-carbon Europe Brussels

19/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the BelgianPresidency): Flemish scientificeconomic congress 2010

Ghent

19-20/11/2010 NATO Summit Lisbon, Portugal

20/11/2010 EU-US Summit Lisbon, Portugal

22/11/2010 General Affairs Council Brussels

22/11/2010 Foreign Affairs Council Brussels

22-23/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the BelgianPresidency): Implementation ofEuropean directives

Brussels

22-24/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Investing in well being at work:addressing psychosocial risks intimes of change

Brussels

22-25/11/2010 Plenary session of the EuropeanParliament

Strasbourg,France

10/12/2010 EU-India Business Summit Egmont Palace,Brussels

17-18/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):SMEs, research and innovation:turning knowledge into profit

La Hulpe

17-18/11/2010 Conference (organized with thesupport of the Belgian Presidency):Cars 2010 vehicle inspection

and mileage fraud

Brussels


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enable member states to better combat tax fraud and tax

evasion by fulfilling their growing need for mutual assistance

regarding information exchange.

With regard to Romania and Lithuania, which have been

subject to an excessive deficit procedure since July 2009, the

ECOFIN Council shared the Commissions opinion that

both member states took effective action to reduce their

deficits. On February 16, the Commission recommended both

countries to take effective action to bring their deficit levels

back under 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) as set out in

the SGP. Since both member states are making satisfactory

progress in reducing their deficits, they are well on their way

to meet the 2012 Council deadline. Henceforth, according to

the Council, no further action is needed at this stage.

Furthermore, the Council adopted the conclusions of a joint

report of the Economic Policy Committee (EPC) and the

Commission regarding the efficiency and effectiveness ofpublic spending on higher education. The report concludes

that, especially in times of budgetary consolidation, it is very

important to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of pu-

blic expenditure on higher education by improving cost effi-

ciency and governance. The report also states that in Europe,

there is a great need for highly-skilled labour. In this perspec-

tive, the Council reaffirmed its Europe 2020 pledge to

increase the share of the population with a tertiary degree.

Lastly, the report calls on the Commission to take these fin-

dings into account in its analyses and proposals for the

Europe 2020 strategy.

The Council also took note of a second EPC report, this

time on the exchange of best practises with regard to

national budgetary frameworks. In line with the conclusions

of the ECOFIN Council of May 18, the Council adopted the

conclusion that peer reviews of member states fiscal frame-

works should be carried out more regularly.

With the intention to present it at the European Council of

October 28-29, a report on levies and taxes on financial

institutions was also approved. The report, which was

requested by the European Council last June, examines thepossibilities for such levies

and taxes to be implemen-

ted. However, as to safe-

guard the flow of credit to

the economy, the report

warns for overburdening

the financial industry with

capital and liquidity require-

ments and funding mea-

sures for deposit guarantee

schemes. Therefore, the report suggests that, in the shortterm and to eliminate multiple charging of banks operating in

several member states, a minimum level of coordination

should be achieved. In the medium term, proposals for set-

ting up crisis resolution me-chanisms should be based on

Commission proposals, the report stated.

Also, in the run up to the meeting of the

G20 Finance Ministers and central bankers,

which took place from October 21 to 23 in

Gyeongju, South Korea, the Council agreed

on the common EU position. This includes the

reform of international financial institutions, fur-

ther reinforcing the global financial system and

the G20 Framework for a Strong, Sustainable

and Balanced Growth (i.e. the G20s economic

growth strategy for the coming years).

Finally, EU Finance Ministers took note of the conclusions

of the informal ECOFIN Council which convened in Brus-

sels on September 30 and October 1. An important topic

G20 ministerial meeting (October 21-23, 2010)

On October 21-23, Finance Ministers and central bank go-

vernors of the 19 economically most important countries

plus the EU met in Gyeongju, South Korea, to discuss global

economic challenges ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit of

November 11-12 in Seoul.In the context of the

fragile and uneven

global economic reco-

very, participants com-

mitted themselves to

achieving a strong,

balanced and sustai-

nable growth in a col-

laborative and coordi-

nated way. Furthermore, with the support of the Financial

Stability Board, the Group of 20 agreed to take action both

at national and international level in order to reinforce the

global financial system.

In addition, a historic deal was made in Gyeongju when

Finance Ministers agreed to changes in the structure of

the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Until now the IMF

which was set up in 1944 to oversee the worlds financial sys-

tem was characterised by an overrepresentation of

European countries. As a result of changes in the balance of

power of the global economy, membership and voting rights

in the IMFs board did not represent the importance and

weight of countries in the world economy anymore. However,

due to the EUs willingness to acknowledge this and to give

up two of its seats in the organisations executive board,emerging countries will now dispose over more voting

rights in the IMF. Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders,

who represented the EU in South Korea as current Economic

and Financial Affairs Council President, suggested that the

Netherlands and Belgium, along with other mid-ranking EU

economies, could share a seat. In addition, he proposed simi-

lar changes to be implemented in the G20.

In the spotlight



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discussed at this meeting was the progress made in refor-

ming the financial sector. More specifically, the International

Accounting Standards Board (IASB), credit rating agencies,

financial oversight in the EU and the United States, the Basel

III-agreement on capital requirements for banks, as well as

bank levies were discussed. Other issues at stake were gover-

nance reforms in the IMF and the G20, as well as the global

economic outlook.

Employment, Social Policy, Health andConsumer Affairs Council (October 21, 2010)

On October 21, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and

Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council held a meeting in

Luxembourg. The session was alternately chaired by Jolle

Milquet (Belgian Minister of Employment and Equal

Opportunities), Laurette Onkelinx (Minister of Social Affairsand Public Health) and Philippe Courard (State Secretary for

Combating Poverty).

First, the Council adopted new guidelines for the em-

ployment policies of the member states (see boxed text)

with a view to achieve the Europe 2020 objectives. These

guidelines represent the second part of the so-called inte-

grated guidelines and complement the broad guidelines

for the economic policies of the member states (which were

already adopted by the Council on July 13). The 10 inte-

grated guidelines were drafted to support the realization

of the 5 headline targets enshrined in the Europe 2020strategy, and as such lay the foundations of the structural

reforms which the member states will have to carry out. All

headline targets will have to be translated into national tar-

gets by member states. The latter will have to submit their

draft national reform programmes to the European

Commission by November 12. The national reform pro-

grammes should be finalized by mid-April 2011.

Second, a policy debate was held and conclusions were

adopted on the governance of the European Employ-

ment Strategy within the context of the Europe 2020strategy and the European semester. The European

Employment Strategy is a dialogue between the European

Commission and the EU member states, with the involve-

ment of social partners, which aims at creating more and

better jobs through information exchange and joint discus-

sions. Ministers recalled the important role of employ-

ment policies in the macroeconomic development of

the EU, and emphasized that the EPSCO Council should

play its full role within the framework of the EU 2020 strat-

egy and the European semester. The need for clear moni-

toring in order to assess progress towards the objectives

of the employment guidelines was also recognized. In this

respect, the Council mandated the Employment

Committee (EMCO, see boxed text) to finalize its work on

Employment and Social Affairs

First part: broad guidelines for economic policies of the

member states

1. ensuring the quality and the sustainability of public finances;

2. addressing macroeconomic imbalances;3. reducing imbalances in the euro area;

4. optimising support for research, development and innova-

tion, strengthening the knowledge triangle and unleashing

the potential of the digital economy;

5. improving resource efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases;

6. improving the business and consumer environment and mod-

ernising the industrial base in order to ensure the full func-

tioning of the internal market.

Second part: guidelines for the employment policies of

the member states

7. increasing labour market participation and reducing structu-ral unemployment;

8. developing a skilled workforce responding to labour market

needs, promoting job quality and lifelong learning;

9. improving the performance of education and training systems

at all levels and increasing participation in tertiary education;

10. promoting social inclusion and combating poverty.

Five headline targets enshrined in the Europe 2020

strategy

Headline targets belonging to the broad guidelines for eco-

nomic policies of the member states;

3% of the EUs gross domestic product (GDP) should beinvested in research and development (R&D);

the 20-20-20 climate and energy targets should be met (i.e.

a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, an increase

of the share of renewable energies in final energy consump-

tion to 20%, and a 20% increase in energy efficiency).

Headline targets belonging to the guidelines for the employ-

ment policies of the member states

75% of the population aged 20-64 should be employed;

the share of early school leavers should be below 10% and at

least 40% of the younger generation should have a tertiary

degree; 20 million less people should be at risk of poverty.

Ten integrated guidelines for the realizationof the Europe 2020 strategy



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a Joint Assessment Framework (JAF) by the next EPSCO

Council meeting in December. In addition, national

delegations described major bottlenecks holding back

growth and employment in their respective national

labour markets. As challenges for different member

states were broadly similar, the Presidency concluded that

there is room for a common strategy.

The EPSCO Council also determined how it would

contribute to the work of the European Council in the

framework of the European semester, namely:

Ahead of each European semester, it would take stock

of the progress made towards the Europe 2020 headline

and national targets and identify possible common poli-

cy themes for closer surveillance.

Before the traditional European Council in spring, the

EPSCO Council would identify in the socalled Joint

Employment Report the main employment trends

requiring strategic guidance by the European Council.

Finally, at the end of the European semester, the EPSCO

Council would examine and adopt country-specific rec-

ommendations for member states in the field of employ-

ment.

It is now up to the European Council to make a final deci-

sion regarding the proposed involvement of the EPSCO

Council in the European semester.

Third, the Council prepared the Tripartite Social Summit

which was held on October 28 just before the EuropeanCouncil of October 28-29, and which dealt with the role

of economic governance in the creation of growth and

jobs (see Social partners section in this newsletter).

Fourth, the European Commission presented to the

EPSCO Council its communication on the Europe 2020

flagship initiative Youth on the move, which was fol-

lowed by an exchange of views. The Commission pub-

lished its communication on September 15. With this flag-

ship initiative, the EU intends to respond to the chal-

lenges young people face and to help them to succeed inthe knowledge economy. The text focuses on four main

lines of action: education and life-long learning, raising

the quality and the attractiveness of European higher edu-

cation, mobility, and the improvement of the employment

situation of young people.

Fifth, the Council took note of a number of opinions and

reports. EMCO issued an opinion entitled Making tran-

sitions pay, which was approved by the Council. The

document stresses the importance of providing people

with the necessary security to better cope with the

requirement to be mobile, and outlines the conditions for

making transitions into and within the labour market pay.

The latter include access to information, labour market

transparency, the availability of training opportunities, the

flexible organisation of work, and adequate social rights.

Then ministers also held a discussion on a joint paper of

EMCO and the European Commission on the choice of

employment measures to mitigate jobless recovery in

times of fiscal austerity. They concluded that fiscal con-

solidation should not mean sacrificing investment in hu-

man capital, education and training. Other positive em-ployment measures included support for youth employ-

ment, support for mobility and transitions, short-time

working programmes and the establishment of effective

public employment services. A third document on the

agenda was an opinion on the social dimension of the

Europe 2020 strategy, prepared by the Social

The Employment Committee is a Treaty-based Committee

which plays an important role in the development of the

European Employment Strategy. EMCO prepares discussions

in the Council each autumn of the employment package: the

Employment Guidelines, Joint Employment Report and

recommendations on the implementation of national employ-

ment policies. EMCO also formulates opinions and contribu-

tions at the request of the Council, the Commission or at its

own initiative.

The Social Protection Committee is a Treaty-based Committee

which serves as a vehicle for cooperative exchange between

member states and the European Commission in the frame-

work of the open method of coordination (OMC) on social

inclusion, health care and long-term care as well as pensions

(the so-called social OMC). In particular, the SPC plays a cen-

tral role in preparing the discussion in the Council on the

annual Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion.

The Committee also prepares reports, formulates opinions or

undertakes other work within its fields of competence, at the

request of either the Council or the Commission or on its own

initiative.

Employment Committee (EMCO)

Social Protection Committee (SPC)


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Protection Committee (SPC, see boxed text). Ministers

held a policy debate, after which the text was approved.

The opinion mainly dealt with the place of social protec-

tion and social inclusion in the Europe 2020 strategy.

Ministers agreed that fiscal consolidation should not stand

in the way of social policy, and that national reform pro-

grammes should include a section on social protection

and poverty reduction. Finally, European Commissioner

for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Lszl Andor

presented the Commissions green paper on pensions,

which was published on July 7.

Under the header of any other business, the European

Commission informed the Council on the status ofRoma

inclusion, and the Council agreed on the position that the

EU will adopt in the respective (Stabilisation and)

Association Councils of six third countries (i.e. Tunisia,

Morocco, Algeria, Israel, Croatia and the Former Yugoslav

Republic of the coordination of social security systems.

The Council also made a statement on the Framework

Agreement signed by the European Parliament and the

Commission on October 20 governing the relations

between the latter two institutions. It noted that several

provisions in the Agreement distort the institutional bal-

ance set out in the treaties, and warned that it would sub-

mit to the European Court of Justice any act or action by

the Parliament or the Commission performed in the appli-

cation of the provisions of the Framework Agreement that

would have an effect contrary to the interests of the

Council and the prerogatives conferred upon it by the

Treaties.

One day before the EPSCO Council, on October 20, the

European Parliament voted in favour of a proposal to

extend maternity leave from the current 14 weeks to 20

weeks across the EU. The package is highly controversial.

Opponents and the business world in particular argue

that the financial impact of extending maternity leave will

be substantial, especially for SMEs, and that the extensionmight have negative effects on the labour market for

women due to increased costs. Supporters say that the

measure would on the contrary encourage the participa-

tion of women in the labour market as it would make

working more compatible with family life. The most con-

tentious question is how much replacement income

women should receive while on maternity leave. Some

member states currently already have extended maternity

leave, but combine it with low allowances, while other

countries pay high allowances, but for a relatively short

time. In the coming months, the Commission will try to

find a compromise acceptable to both the Parliament and

the Council.

Tripartite Social Summit (October 28, 2010)

On October 28, the second Tripartite Social Summit of

the year took place in Brussels, just before the start of the

European Council later on the same day. The Tripartite

Social Summit aims to ensure the effective participation of

the social partners in implementing the EUs economic

and social policies, and consists of the Council Presidency

(currently Belgium) and the two subsequent Presidencies

(i.e. Hungary and Poland), as well as the Commission and

social partners. This Tripartite Social Summit was chaired

by Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme, European Com-

mission President Jos Manuel Barroso and European

Council President Herman Van Rompuy. From the employ-

ers side, participants included among others Philippe De

Buck (Director General of BUSINESSEUROPE), Pieter

Timmermans (Director General of the Federation of

Enterprises in Belgium (FEB)), Pter Vadasz (Co-Presidentof MGYOSZ, representing business in Hungary) and Lech

Pilawski (Director General of PKPP Lewiatan, representing

business in Poland). From the political world, Viktor Orban

(Hungarian Prime Minister), Jolle Milquet (Belgian Em-

ployment Minister) and Lszl Andor (European Com-

missioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion)

were inter alia present. From the trade unions side, John

Monks participated on behalf of the European Trade

Union Confederation (ETUC). The Tripartite Social Summit

dealt with the question how economic governance can

best be designed to foster jobs and growth in the EU ,and how to best combine a crisis exit strategy aimed

at limiting public debt with a strategy allowing invest-

ment in skills, technology and infrastructure.

Social partners


8/14


Commission President Barroso said that the main objec-

tive for the coming period is to tackle the current high

unemployment rate. He underlined that fiscal consolida-

tion can be combined with social policies. Belgian Prime

Minister Leterme expressed his support to the idea of

involving social partners in the Europe 2020 strategy and

stated that he wanted the Tripartite Social Summit to

be anchored in the European semester by holding a

meeting with

social partners

before the tradi-

tional European

Council meetings

in spring and in

June. Belgian

Employment

Minister Jolle

Milquet expressedher support to the

latter idea. Moreover, Jolle Milquet stressed the impor-

tance of employment policies in economic governance

and the Europe 2020 strategy. Commissioner Andor sta-

ted that the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Con-

sumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council should be more involved

in the development and implementation of macroeco-

nomic policies.

Social partners also made contributions to the debate.

On behalf of BUSINESSEUROPE, Philippe de Buck

underlined the importance of more effective coordination

of fiscal and broader economic policies and specifically

urged EU leaders to introduce automatic sanctions in

the framework of a reinforced Stability and Growth

Pact (SGP) to reduce the room for political horse-trad-

ing. The Director General of BUSINESSEUROPE then said

that all EU policies should

help to achieve the twin

objective of more growth

and more jobs. He stressed

that both employers and

trade unions agree on theneed to combine the sus-

tainability of public finances

with excellence in education,

training and research.

Philippe De Buck called

upon governments to put in

place incentives for firms to

hire, instead of new measures that would make it more

difficult to employ people. He also referred to the impor-

tant role of the EU internal market, in which much poten-

tial currently remains unfulfilled. With regard to the post-

ing of workers directive, he invited the European

Commission to consult and involve social partners.

Finally, he called upon all parties to ask themselves

whether they had done enough to create the conditions

for growth, such as structural reforms in labour markets

and social systems. If we do not review them today, we

will not be able to sustain them tomorrow, Philippe de

Buck concluded.

Pieter Timmermans of the FEB also addressed the par-

ticipants of the Tripartite Social Summit. He underlined

that Europe should first focus on sound economic funda-

mentals, creating the conditions for growth, which could

then be translated into more jobs. According to him, this

is the path the EU should follow in order to be able in

the future to sustain its way of life. Hence, the imple-

mentation of economic governance at the EU level

should be correctly phased and combine a close follow-

up of public finances and increased competitiveness of

European companies. Regarding sound public finances,

Pieter Timmermans urged member states to adopt ambi-tious national reform programmes in the framework of

the European semester which focus coherently on com-

petitiveness, growth and budget. Concerning the last

element, he underlined that the consolidation of public

finances should mainly be aimed at expenditure control

which has a less negative impact on growth and job cre-

ation than an increase in taxes. With regard to increased

competitiveness, member states should make progress in

the field of structural reforms. This is a question of

modify or mummify, stated the FEB Director General.

Finally, on the SGP, Pieter Timmermans stressed that a

sufficiently automatic character of sanctions is a conditio

sine qua non to prevent the reformed Pact of becoming

a diluted discretionary regime like in the past.

After the Tripartite Social Summit, European Council

President Herman Van Rompuy stated that the exit

strategy to reduce

public debts and pre-

vent further currency

crises now had to be

linked with an entry

strategy for growth,jobs and social inclu-

sion. But Europe can-

not deliver a one-fits-

all concept, he said.

We need a tailor-

made design for each

member state. Regar-

ding the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy,

President Van Rompuy invited social partners to actively

take part and cooperate in the pending process to iden-

tify national bottlenecks and set national targets.

Jos Manuel Barroso, Herman VanRompuy & Yves Leterme

Steven DHaeseleer, Philippe de Buck & Pieter Timmermans


9/14


Foreign Affairs Council (October 25, 2010)

On October 25, a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council

was held under the chairmanship of Catherine Ashton, HighRepresentative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security

Policy.

EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs first of all held a brief discus-

sion in preparation of upcoming bilateral summits with

the United States (November 20), Ukraine (November 22)

and the Union for the Mediterranean (November 20-21).

Second, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted

conclusions on a comprehensive European in-

ternational investment policy, a new exclusive

EU competence since the entry into force of the

Lisbon Treaty. The Council acknowledges the

crucial role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in

fostering competitiveness, economic growth and

productivity, strengthening trade relations

between nations, and contributing to sustainable

development, job creation and enhanced con-

sumer benefits. It states that the EUs in-

vestment policy should support the Unions objective of

remaining the worlds leading destination and source of

investment and reflect its commitment to maintain an open

investment environment. With regard to existing bilateralinvestment treaties, the Council stresses that the new legal

framework should not negatively affect investor protec-

tion and guarantees enjoyed under the existing agree-

ments. To that end, the European Commission published on

July 7, 2010 a draft regulation establishing transitionalarrangements for bilateral investment agreements

between EU member states and third countries.

Furthermore, the Council recommends a number ofcriteria

for selecting priority investment partners, such as the

economic climate, market size and growth, strategic impor-

tance, political and institutional stability and the degree of

local investment protection. Then the Council underlines the

need to ensure the inclusion of fundamen-

tal standards in future negotiations, such

as fair and equitable treatment, non-dis-

crimination, rotection against expropria-

tion, free transfer of capital funds and pay-

ments, and dispute settlement mecha-

nisms. Social and environmental aspects of

FDI are also taken into account, as well as

the rights and obligations of investors. In

this regard, the European investment poli-

cy must continue to allow the EU and its

member states to adopt and enforce mea-

sures necessary to pursue public policy objectives. Finally,

the Commission is invited to carry out a detailed study on

relevant issues concerning international arbitration sys-

tems, in particular the legal and political feasibility of EUmembership in international arbitration institutions.

Foreign Affairs

General Affairs Council (October 25, 2010)

On October 25, a meeting of the General Affairs Council

was held in Luxembourg. Steven Vanackere, BelgianMinister for Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reforms chaired

the session.

First of all, the Council took stock of the follow-up to be

given to the meeting of the European Council on

September 16, based on an information note prepared by

the Belgian Presidency. This document contains follow-up

items on the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy,

financial services, economic governance, the G20, climate

change and external relations. In addition, the General

Affairs Council prepared the European Council of October

28-29 (see European Council section in this newsletter).

Second, the Council discussed Serbias application for EU

membership. The country applied to become an EU mem-

ber state on 22 December 2009. Highlight in the Council

conclusions is the invitation of EU Foreign Affairs Minis-

ters to the European Commission to submit an opinion

on Serbias readiness to become an official candidate

member state. In the coming months, Serbia will need to

answer to a detailed questionnaire of the Commission. This

Council initiative is generally considered as a reward to

Serbia for the constructive attitude it showed towards

Kosovo in a resolution of the United Nations General

Assembly of 9 September 2010. Especially the Netherlands

has been blocking further steps in Serbias EU accession

process, accusing the Tadic administration of not doing

enough to cooperate with the International Criminal

Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

The Councils conclusions on Serbia reaffirm that the future

of the Western Balkans lies in the EU, but also that each

General Affairs


10/14


countrys progress towards membership depends on its indi-

vidual efforts to comply with the so-called Copenhagen cri-

teria and the conditionality enshrined in the Stabilisation

and Association Process. Furthermore, Serbia is encour-

aged to make progress in the dialogue process between

Belgrade and Pristina, with the support of the EU and its

High Representative. Specifically, the Council recalls that

Serbias full cooperation with the ICTYcontinues to be

required, and states that this will remain a central element

in the Councils evaluation of Serbias progress. Finally, the

Council concludes that the arrest of two remaining fugitive

war criminals, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic, would be the

most convincing proof of Serbias efforts

and cooperation with the ICTY.

Third, with regard to the EUs

2011 budget, the Council de-

cided not to approve all amend-

ments which the European Parlia-ment made in order to increase its

draft budget. Following the Lisbon

Treaty, a Conciliation Committee will

now be convened to agree on a joint text within 21 days.

Finally, the General Affairs Council approved draft regula-

tions applicable to the European External Action Service

(EEAS), amending the previous Financial Regulation appli-

cable to the general budget of the European Com munities,

and Staff Regulation of officials of the European Communi-

ties. An agreement with the European Parliament had been

found earlier at a meeting on October 14, which was endor-

sed by the Parliament on October 20. Amendments to the

Staff Regulation provides inter alia a number of criteria for

the recruitment of EEAS officials, namely highest standard

of ability, efficiency, integrity, and a broad geographical

basis. The point of gender balance is also addressed.

Progress will be monitored annually, and an overall report

has to be submitted to the Parliament, the Council and the

Commission by mid-2013. The two regulations were the last

legal acts which had to be adopted in order to make the

EEAS operational. In addition, the General Affairs Coun cil

adopted an amendment to the 2010 EU budget, foresee-

ing start-up funds for the EEAS worth 9,5 million EUR.

Also on October 25, Catherine Ashton, the High Repre-

sentative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,announced the appointment of Pierre Vimont (French) as

the Executive Secretary General of the EEAS, and of David

OSullivan (Irish) as EEAS Chief Operating Officer. On

October 29, two more appointments were announced,

namely of the EEAS Deputy Secretary Generals. Helga

Schmid (German) will become Deputy Secretary General for

Political Affairs and Maciej Popowski (Polish) for Interinsti-

tutional Affairs.

10th Conference of the Parties to theConvention on Biodiversity (October 18-29,2010)

From October 18 to 29, delegates from almost 200 coun-

tries convened in Nagoya, Japan, for the United Nations

Convention on Biological Diversity. EU

Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnikand Joke Schauvliege, Flemish Envi-

ronment Minister and current EU Environ-

ment Council President, were nothing but

positive on the outcome of the

conference. In a joint statement they said

Nagoya has been a major step forward

and that they hope future generations will

regard it as a tipping point which brought our planet back

from the brink of an ecological disaster.

Since the European Commission estimated that the annualloss of ecosystem services amounts to roughly 50 billion

EUR per year, and since deforestation is responsible for

around 20% of global CO2 emissions, the importance of the

Aichi Target (i.e. the Strategic Plan of the Convention on

Biological Diversity) can hardly be overestimated. The main

goal of the protocol is to create a framework to manage

the worlds genetic resources and to share their financial

benefits with developing countries.

To achieve this, participants pled -

ged to set up national biodiver-sity programmes within two

years. Concretely, these pro-

grammes are aimed at halting

over-fishing, reducing pollution,

protecting coral reefs and stop-

ping the loss of genetic diversity

in agricultural ecosystems. In addi-

tion, it was agreed that countries will increase the area of

protected land in the world from 12,5% to 17% within the

next ten years. As for the oceans, the protected area will go

from 1% now to 10% by 2020.

Furthermore, as to increase the current levels of develop-

ment assistance to support biodiversity, a resource mobiliza-

Biodiversity


11/14

Brussels calling

tion strategy was adopted. In order to unlock billions of dol-

lars to help developing countries, a protocol was adopted

on sharing the benefits of using earths genetic resources.

Now that the protocol still needs to be ratified by the signa-

tory nations this excludes the United States industry re-

sistance may still be expected. In this context, Jo Leinen,

chairman of the European Parliaments (EP) Environment

Committee and leader of the EPs delegation in Nagoya,

said that, in order to create a global level playing field,

American companies need to follow the protocol as well.

He added that funding for the actions set out in the proto-

col should come from both public and private sources. Mr.

Leinen also expects the Commission to propose legislation

on biodiversity.

- 11 -

European Council (October 28-29, 2010)

On October 28-29, EU Heads of State and Government came

to Brussels for a meeting of the European Council. Chaired by

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, the mee-

ting was mainly dedicated to economic governance, following

the publication of the final report of the Task Force on

economic governance. European leaders also prepared the

EUs position for the G20 Summit in Seoul (November 11-12),as well as for the United Nations (UN) Climate Change

Conference in Cancn (November 29 December 10). Finally,

they exchanged views on the stance the EU should adopt

during upcoming bilateral summits with the United States

(November 20), Ukraine (November 22) and Russia

(December 7).

A week before the European Council, on October 21, the

Task Force on economic governance chaired by the Euro-

pean Council President and composed inter alia of EU Finan-

ce Ministers, published its final report

with recommendations to strengthen

economic governance in the EU. The 16-

page document proposes:

a reinforced Stability and Growth Pact

(SGP) to improve budgetary surveillance;

the introduction of a new mechanism for

macroeconomic surveillance aimed at

addressing macroeconomic imbalances and vulnerabilities;

improved policy coordination through the introduction of

the so-called European semester;

further work on a robust framework for crisis management; stronger institutions both at national and EU level for more

effective economic governance.

More details on the final report of the Task Force can be

found in the Economic and Financial Affairs section of this

newsletter.

On October 28, the European Council endorsed the Task

Forces report and called for a fast-track approach with re-

gard to the adoption of secondary legislation implemen-

ting the recommendations. On Septem-

ber 29, the Commission already tabled a

comprehensive package of proposals on

economic governance, which are mostly

in line with the proposals of the Task

Force. The aim for the European Parlia-

ment and the Council is now to reach an

agreement over the Commissions leg-

islative proposals by the summer of

2011. Nevertheless, a number of issues remains pending.

First of all, the Task Force was not able to reach an agree-

ment on how the impact of pension reforms should beaccounted for in the implementation of the SGP, i.e. in the

calculation of public debt and deficit levels. The European

Council therefore invited the Economic and Financial Affairs

European Council

FEB lunch debate with Connie Hedegaard(October 29, 2010)

On October 28, at the occasion of a lunch debate organized by

the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB), European

Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard was

invited by the FEB to talk about the international climate negoti-ations and the EUs climate policy.

She was introduced by FEB President Thomas Leysen, who

outlined the main concerns of the business world regarding

these topics. Concretely, these include a fair implementation of

the Emissions Trading Schemes benchmarks, opposition to a

unilateral move to a 30% emission reduction target and a

more effective EU climate diplomacy.

During her speech, which she delivered to representatives from

both the Belgian and the European business world, Connie

Hedegaard emphasized the importance of the EUs climate

and energy agenda in the context of future growth and inno-vation. As the EU cannot compete with emerging economies in

terms of tax rates and labour costs, Europe has to better exploit

its frontrunner position in the field of eco-innovation and emis-

sion reduction technologies, she stated. Since emerging

economies such as China are rapidly (and successfully) scaling up

their efforts in trying to increase their market share in green tech-

nology markets, the need for Europe to act has never been

greater, she added. She also argued that, due to reduced eco-

nomic activity in the past two years, the carbon price has

dropped and will probably continue to remain low in the future.

Connie Hedegaard defended the Commissions push for stric-

ter emission reduction targets. She said that without this push,

the EU might lose its leading position in clean technology mar-

kets and hence, an important source of sustainability and welfare.

In the spotlight


12/14

Council to speed up its work on this issue and report back in

December to ensure a level playing field within the SGP

between member states which have already undertaken pen-

sion reforms and those who havent yet. The latter fear that

the exclusion of pension reforms implies an issue of hidden

debt, which would not be taken into account in the SGP.

Secondly, discussions were held

about the establishment of a per-

manent crisis mechanism to safe-

guard the financial stability of the

euro area. Initially not foreseen, this

item was put on the agenda of the

European Council only recently, fur-

ther to ajoint statement by French President Nicolas

Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on October

18. This statement said inter alia that amendments to the EU

treaties are needed to establish a robust crisis resolution

framework ensuring orderly crisis management in the futureand allowing for the suspension of voting rights of member

states seriously violating the basic principles of the Economic

and Monetary Union (EMU). Despite initial reluctance to start

a new round of treaty change, the European Council did, in

the end, agree upon the need to establish a permanent crisis

mechanism to protect the euro during potential future crises

similar to the Greek debt crisis earlier this year. EU Heads of

State and Government therefore invited Herman Van Rompuy

to undertake consultations within the European Council on a

limited treaty change. The European Commission has already

expressed its intention to do preparatory work on the general

features of the future new mechanism, looking among other

things at the role of the private sector, the role of the Interna-

tional Monetary Fund (IMF) and the strong conditionality

under which the new mechanism would operate in order to

avoid moral hazard. At its December meeting, the Eu-

ropean Council intends to take a final decision on both the

outline of the crisis mechanism and on a limited treaty

amendment. EU leaders want to have the new framework

and its legal basis put in place by mid-2013 when the current

financial safety net expires (see boxed text).

The other demand of Germany and France, i.e. the suspen-sion of voting rights of member states seriously violating

EMU principles, did not get any support from other

European Council members. EU leaders then held a brief

exchange of views on the EU budget. Heads of State

and Government underlined that the forthcoming Multi-

annual Financial Framework for the period 2014-2020

should reflect the consolidation efforts being made by

member states to bring their public debt and deficit le-

vels to a more sustainable path. The United Kingdom was

able to secure considerable support for a moderate EU

budget in the future. Talks about the 2014-2020 multi-

annual budget will kick off in 2011.

Another point on the agenda of the European Council was the

preparation of the G20 Summit in Seoul, scheduled to take

place on November 11-12. In a joint letter, European Council

President Van Rompuy and Commission President Barroso

stated that the G20 is now at a turning point, having shifted

its focus from immediate crisis response to longer-term global

economic coordination. The EU has several objectives for the

G20 Summit. First and foremost, it intends to ensure global

recovery and the implementation of the G20 Framework

for strong, balanced and sustainable growth. To correct

global economic imbalances, advanced deficit economies

should increase their respective domestic savings rates, while

emerging markets need to stimulate domestic consumption

On 2 May 2010, Eurogroup Finance Ministers agreed on a 110

billion EUR rescue plan for Greece which was facing an acute

sovereign debt crisis which threatened the financial stability ofthe euro area as a whole. 80 billion EUR of that amount was

contributed by euro zone countries, while the International

Monetary Fund (IMF) made available the remaining 30 billion

EUR. In return, Greece had to sign a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) with the European Commission (acting

on behalf of euro zone members) setting out a three-year pro-

gramme designed to address fiscal imbalances.

This initiative was considered insufficient by financial markets as

worries about other weak European economies such as Spain,

Portugal, Italy and Ireland continued. Hence, on 9 May 2010, an

extraordinary meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs

(ECOFIN) Council was held to address in great haste the imme-diate problem of the possible contagion which shook the euro

area to its foundations. The Council set up the European Fi-

nancial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM), a 60 billion EUR

instrument funded by the European Commission, guaranteed by

the EU budget and meant for member states which are yet to

adopt the euro. Euro zone countries finally decided to comple-

ment the EFSM with the European Financial Stability Facility

(EFSF). The EFSF is in fact a company which can issue bonds or

other debt instruments on the market to raise funds for the pro-

vision of loans to euro zone countries in financial distress. Issues

are backed by guarantees given by euro area members of up to

440 billion EUR on a pro-rata basis, in accordance to their share

in the paid-up capital of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Finally, the IMF also accepted to participate in the programme

for up to 250 billion EUR. This resulted in a financial safety net

of unprecedented scale worth

approximately 750 billion EUR.

A first problem is that these 3 facili-

ties the Greek package, the EFSM

and the EFSF only have a tempo-

rary character and will expire mid-

2013. Germany has already made it

clear that it is not willing to do a sec-

ond rescue operation as it did withGreece in spring. Second, the current EU treaties do not allow

for the bail-out of member states, as stipulated by the so-

called no bail-out clause (i.e. article 125 of the Treaty on the

Functioning of the European Union). The latter argument might

lead the German constitutional court to strike down the EFSF

and EFSM.

From the Greek sovereign debt crisis toa permanent euro area crisis mechanism


13/14


14/14

Finally, EU Heads of State and Government discussed the key

political messages to be promoted by European Council Pre-

sident Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President Jos

Manuel Barroso at the upcoming bilateral summits with the

United States (in Lisbon on November 20), Ukraine (in Brussels

on November 22) and Russia (in Brussels on December 7).

Regarding the United States, the EU intends to reassert the

transatlantic relationship by strengthening cooperation in areas

such as the economic recovery, climate change, security and

development. Concerning Ukraine, the EU will express its sup-

port to ongoing reforms and intends to add momentum to the

Association Agreement negotiations, with a special focus on a

deep free trade area. With regard to Russia, the countrys

accession to the WTO and outstanding bilateral , such as trade,

investment and energy sector cooperation, will be on the

agenda.


Website of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Unionhttp://www.eutrio.be

Website of the Belgian EU Presidency of the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB)http://eupresidency.vbo-feb.be

LINKS

Presentation of the European Department of the FEB

Diane StruyvenDirector of the European Department of the FEB Permanent Delegate to BUSINESSEUROPETel: +32 (0)2 515 08 [email protected]

Michael VoordeckersAdvisor at the European Department of the FEBTel: +32 (0)2 515 09 [email protected]

Arnaud ThysenDeputy Advisor at the European Department of the FEBTel: +32 (0)2 515 09 [email protected]

Michiel HumbletIntern at the European Department of the FEBTel: +32 (0)2 515 08 [email protected]

Pieter-Jan Van SteenkisteIntern at the European Department of the FEBTel: +32 (0)2 515 09 [email protected]

TEAM PRESENTATION

FEB Federation of Enterprises in BelgiumRavensteinstraat 4 1000 BrusselsTel. 02 515 08 11 Fax. 02 515 09 15

PUBLISHER: Olivier Joris Wolvenbergstraat 17 1180 BrusselsPUBLICATION MANAGER: Stefan Maes Tel. 02 515 08 43 [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGN: Vanessa Solymosi, Landmarks [email protected]: Reproduction with acknowledgement of source is permitted

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