By common consent, the recent EU summit at Stockholm was a dull affair. EU leaders made some progress on creating a single financial market throughout the Union, and on establishing a standard European patent. Other proposals for economic liberalisation, were deadlocked. The idea of a single European air traffic control area was blocked because of a dispute between Britain and Spain over Gibraltar; proposals for liberalisation of gas and electricity supply were resisted by France, which promotes the public service advantages of public sector utilities.
By common consent, the recent EU summit at Stockholm was a dull affair. EU leaders made some progress on creating a single financial market throughout the Union, and on establishing a standard European patent. Other proposals for economic liberalisation, were deadlocked. The idea of a single European air traffic control area was blocked because of a dispute between Britain and Spain over Gibraltar; proposals for liberalisation of gas and electricity supply were resisted by France, which promotes the public service advantages of public sector utilities.