20. Welcomes the adoption of the Single Market Act, based on an initiative of the European Parliament, in line with the Monti report; welcomes in particular legislative measures enabling SMEs to reap the full benefits of the single market, such as European rules for venture capital funds, a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB), revised VAT rules and a simplification of the Accounting Directives; urges the Council to make a strong commitment to the implementation of the Single Market Act, in particular the adoption of its priority measures by the end of 2012; calls on the Commission and the Council to carefully consider the interests of SMEs for all measures throughout ...[+++]this process;

20. Welcomes the adoption of the Single Market Act, based on an initiative of the European Parliament, in line with the Monti report; welcomes in particular legislative measures enabling SMEs to reap the full benefits of the single market, such as European rules for venture capital funds, revised VAT rules and a simplification of the Accounting Directives; urges the Council to make a strong commitment to the implementation of the Single Market Act, in particular the adoption of its priority measures by the end of 2012; calls on the Commission and the Council to carefully consider the interests of SMEs for all measures throughout this process; ...[+++]

In the implementation of the 20% energy efficiency target, the Commission will have to monitor the impact of new measures on the ETS in order to maintain the incentives in the ETS rewarding low carbon investments and preparing the ETS sectors for the innovations needed in the future.

The Commission will propose: A comprehensive legislative instrument establishing regulatory and supervisory standards for hedge funds, private equity and other systemically important market players(April 2009) A White Paper on tools for early intervention to prevent a crisis (June 2009) On the basis of a report on derivatives and other complex structured products (June 2009), appropriate initiatives to increase transparency and ensure financial stability Legislative proposals to increase the quality and quantity of prudential capital for trading book activities and tackle complex securitisation (June 2009) and to address liquidity risk and excessive leverage (Autumn 2009) A rolling programme of actions to establish a far more consistent set ...[+++] of supervisory rules (to be launched in 2009) To ensure that European investors, consumers and SMEs can be confident about their savings, access to credit and their rights as concerns financial products, the Commission will come forward with: A Communication on retail investment products to strengthen the effectiveness of marketing safeguards (April 2009) Further measures to reinforce bank depositor, investor and insurance policy holder protection (Autumn 2009) Measures on responsible lending and borrowing (Autumn 2009) To improve risk management in financial firms and align pay incentives with sustainable performance.

(12) This Regulation should not apply to drug precursors because the diversion of those chemical substances for the purpose of manufacturing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances is addressed under Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 on drug precursors[16] and Council Regulation (EC) No 111/2005 of 22 December 2004 laying down rules for the monitoring of trade between the Community and third countries in drug precursors[17].

(5) Whereas the independence of the Director of the Office and the role of the Surveillance Committee arising from this Decision, and from the EC and Euratom Regulations concerning the investigations conducted by the Office, seek to guarantee the Office's proper conduct of investigations without interfering with its other tasks, such as those which are the prerogative of the Commission, in particular in matters of legislation;