The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have called for the appointment of a European Commission vice-president with wide-ranging powers to decide and steer EU economic and competitiveness policies, writes Derek Scally in Berlin
The three leaders called for the removal of barriers to achieving the goals of the Lisbon Agenda on competitiveness and innovation but added that these goals could be reached without an increase in the EU budget.
"This \ would push ahead with the Lisbon Agenda and co-ordinate the work of Commissioners whose portfolios are particularly important for its realisation. The vice-president should have a voice in all decisions on EU projects which impact on the targets of the Lisbon Agenda," said the three leaders in a letter to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, after a tripartite summit in Berlin yesterday.
The German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, said the meeting was about driving forward and not "dominating" the EU agenda: "No more and no less."
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said the "immensely constructive" talks, the second such meeting, had already proven their worth - for example, the EU's adoption of their proposals on European security and defence.
"I don't think we need be apologetic in any shape or form or defensive about various relationships," said Mr Blair. "Just as we did with defence we can do for economic reform for our own counties and for Europe."
French President Mr Jacques Chirac said: "Any meeting that would enable us to develop together vision and understanding of tomorrow's Europe and drawing appropriate consequences is an appropriate meeting. We will therefore go on meeting. The Irish presidency has understood that and welcomed that. I cannot see, in all honesty, what anyone has against us."
The three leaders published papers on innovation and labour market reform in which they urge EU member-states to embrace innovation as a means of promoting enterprise and sustainable development while reforming labour markets and protecting social welfare systems for future generations.
"The economic world that people know is changing rapidly," said Mr Blair. "The response of government at a national and European level has to be equally quick and able to adapt to changing circumstances." The letter from the three leaders calls for the Commission to produce a timetable for the abolition of regulations and red tape that "unduly hamper competitiveness and innovation".
"The regulatory framework ... must promote and not inhibit enterprise," it said.
The three also call for a review of the framework for state aid to increase support for innovative small and medium-sized companies that are not supported by the market.