According to the parliamentary answer which corresponds to an MSWord file on the ministry website, we can expect the following schedule of the Irish Council presidency (January to June next year):
2004-03-11 |
Competitiveness Council formal meeting (Brussels) -- Patent Policy Working Party may try to prepare an agreement. |
2004-03-25..6 |
European Council (ie Heads of Government) |
2004-04 |
Informal meeting of Competitiveness Ministers (Co. Clare, Ireland) -- final attempt to get agreement ready by May, in case previous attempts failed. |
2004-05-17..8 |
Competitiveness Council formal meeting (Brussels). |
The relevant ministry in charge will be the ministry for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, headed by deputy prime minister Ms. Mary Harney.
The May meeting is the last date for Ireland to be able to claim the credit for any agreement, so the goal of the presidency will probably be to push for achievments on as many dossiers as possible by then.
If possible, they will try to get the agreement 'banked' in March, to clear the agenda; the March meeting will also consider what broad strategy and other documents in the area of Competitiveness can be prepared that the heads of government can discuss at the end of March.
Given that the Intellectual Property Working Party (group of national patent experts from patent office circles) has apparently already had two "very productive" meetings (as some insiders say -- minutes of these meetings are not available), they may feel that March 11th is entirely possible to adopt a finalised Council common text for the directive.
The working party will also still be working on the Community Patent legislation.
If agreements cannot be put in place on March 11, the "informal meeting" in April will see a final attempt to bash heads together at a political level, to produce agreement in time for May 17th.
