The Council took note of a progress report on this dossier. It welcomed the progress which had been achieved so far and confirmed its intention to continue to give high priority to this file with a view to reaching an agreement within the timeframe set by the European Council.
During its discussions so far, the Council has focused more on the present decision, but the results of those discussions have helped to achieve progress with the proposal for a Utilities Directive. The discussions during the Swedish Presidency have touched upon most questions, but particular attention has been paid to the rules on electronic procurement and the so called competitive dialogue that would be used in connection with particularly complex contracts.
�