Today's Date:

RUSSIA/UKRAINE/GAS SUPPLIES/EU ENERGY POLICY

THE MINISTER – European energy policy was a major – and the newest – issue addressed at last week's European Council. It's an essential, urgent one: this is why France had presented some proposals back in January which since then have largely been taken up by the European Commission in its Green Paper and by last week's European Council. Europe must unite more on this issue of crucial importance for its independence and competitiveness, with three major objectives: the security of its supplies, competitiveness of its companies and respect for the environment. To ensure its supplies, Europe must speak with one voice and member States must develop greater solidarity with each other in order to address the threats to their energy security. France is in favour of an external European strategy for energy security, which is lacking today, both for our dialogue with major producers such as Russia and for our relations with other important countries, such as those of Central Asia, the Caucasus and North Africa. In my view, the EU-Russia energy dialogue must first of all encourage the signature and ratification of the Treaty on the European Energy Charter and its protocol on the transit of energy products. We must develop our cooperation with Russia on energy.

SERVICES DIRECTIVE

THE MINISTER – Not at all. This is a good example of a subject which has in the past caused unnecessary controversy! I hope we've seen the end of it. France is in favour of European legislation on the free movement of services since France has high-quality services, produces and exports a lot of them and is moreover Europe's third largest exporter of services. However, the Commission's initial proposal wasn't a good one.

Since then, it has been fundamentally reworked, particularly by the European Parliament which, on 16 February this year, adopted a very different text with the agreement of its two main political forces. This is a balanced text which the European Council has unanimously welcomed. The Commission will have to draw up a new proposal on the basis of this vote. If it does, we could have an agreement. If it doesn't, we would be in for more months, perhaps years of discussions. It's time to be realistic and pragmatic.

FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS

THE MINISTER – We know the importance your country attaches to the free movement of workers, which is one of the single market's founding principles. We fully understand this and it's why we have taken the decision progressively to open our market. Some partners have decided to open their labour markets completely, others to maintain all the restrictions currently in force. So between now and 1 May 2006, the French government is going to consult the social partners and identify the sectors to be opened up. It's an important gesture. I've always been in favour of a controlled incremental opening-up. We wish this simultaneously to go hand in hand with stepping up our joint efforts to combat illegal working. All this will strengthen our links by allowing more exchanges between us. And, of course, the objective is eventually the full, wholehearted application of freedom of movement for people.

PROTECTIONISM

THE MINISTER – But no one is indulging in or calling for protectionism! The forging of closer ties between the Suez and Gaz de France groups was proposed by the two companies concerned, which had for several months been discussing how they could take advantage of the complementary nature of their activities. From the industrial, economic and European points of view, this operation is totally logical. It's good news for "Energy Europe", which has to be based on solid groups. Moreover, I have to tell you that France isn't inward-looking: on the contrary, she is open to the world and to trade, if she weren't she would not be one of the world's leading destinations for foreign direct investment as she is today! At any rate, let's not make unfounded criticisms against fellow Europeans. (…)./.