Brussels, 16 February 2004

Mr Giuseppe Gargani
Chairman, Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market
European Parliament    BRUSSELS

Subject:  Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on measures and procedures to ensure the enforcement of intellectual property rights (COD 2003/0024)

Dear Mr Gargani,

Following informal meetings involving representatives of the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council, the Presidency presented a draft compromise proposal, which has today received broad support by the Permanent Representatives Committee.

Therefore, I am now in a position to inform you that, should the European Parliament agree to take on board at its plenary session on 25 and 26 February 2004 the above compromise proposal as contained in the Annex, the Presidency will put this file on the agenda of the next Competitiveness Council on 11 March 2004 for a political agreement with a view to its formal adoption in accordance with Article 251(2), first subparagraph, first indent, of the Treaty.

On behalf of the Council I wish to thank you and the rapporteur, Ms Fourtou, as well as all the other persons in your Committee who have been closely involved in the informal discussions with the Council representatives in the course of the last two months for the close co-operation which, I hope, should enable us to reach agreement on this important dossier at first reading.

Yours sincerely,

Peter GUNNING
Chairman of  the Permanent Representatives Committee (Part 1)


copy to: Ms FOURTOU

CODE