European leaders have ended their summit claiming significant progress on an ambitious programme of economic reforms.

They aim to boost competition and lower consumer prices across the European Union to make it the most dynamic economy in the world by 2010. But it was only half a step forward after the final day's proceedings had been dragged out by French battles to resist opening up their state monopolies in gas and electricity to foreign competition. The French insisted on commitment dates being struck out of the draft communiquй. French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin said they were not opposed to liberalisation, but that it had to be gradual and under control. Goran Persson, the Swedish Prime Minister and host of the Stockholm summit, conceded that there had been a "difficult discussion" on gas and electricity liberalisation. European leaders are looking too for ways of boosting biotechnology industries. But they failed to make progress in Stockholm on a Europe-wide patents system. The summit communique noted the leaders'concern about the foot and mouth outbreaks and expressed "solidarity" with farmers, endorsing the measures so far taken to counter the outbreak in Britain and other countries. Following the visit to Stockholm by President Vladimir Putin, it also gave backing to Russia's efforts to qualify for the World Trade Organisation.