RAPID - PRESS RELEASES - Hoofdinhoud

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CONTENTS¹

PARTICIPANTS 5

ITEMS DEBATED

PREPARATION OF THE JUNE MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL 7

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• - 

  Preparation of the EU-Canada summit 8
• - 

  Preparation for the EU-Japan summit 8
• - 

  Relations with Switzerland - Negotiation on state aid rules 8
• - 

  Relations with Vietnam - Partnership and cooperation agreement 8
• - 

  EU-South Africa strategic partnership 9
• - 

  Relations with the Council of Europe - Memorandum of understanding 9

EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY

• - 

  Security agreement with the European Space Agency 9
• - 

  Financing of ESDP operations 9
• - 

  Strengthening African capabilities - Recommendations 10
• - 

  Kosovo - EU planning team - Extension of mandate 10
• - 

  EU military capabilities - Progress report 10
• - 

  Democratic Republic of the Congo - Operation "EUFOR RD Congo" 11

DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

• - 

  Preparation of ACP-EU joint council - African Peace Facility, Sudan, Somalia, desertification 11
• - 

  Action plan on health workers 12
• - 

  Gender equality and development 13
• - 

  Relations with Africa - Energy cooperation 14
• - 

  10th European development fund - Programming and decision-making procedures 15

TRADE POLICY

• - 

  New Zealand - Modification of butter quota 15

GENERAL AFFAIRS

• - 

  Proceedings in the Council's other configurations 15

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

• - 

  Bohunice nuclear power plant in Slovakia - Assistance for decommissioning 15

ENERGY

• - 

  Nuclear energy - Third party liability 16

APPOINTMENTS

• - 

  Committee of the Regions 16
• - 

  European Economic and Social Committee 17

PARTICIPANTS

The governments of the Member States and the European Commission were represented as follows:

Belgium:

Mr Didier DONFUT State Secretary for European Affairs, attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Bulgaria:

Mr Ivailo KALFIN Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Czech Republic:

Mr Karel SCHWARZENBERG Minister for Foreign Affairs

Denmark:

Mr Michael ZILMER-JOHNS State Secretary for Foreign and Security Policy, EU Policy and EU Coordination

Germany:

Mr Frank-Walter STEINMEIER Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs

Estonia:

Mr Urmas PAET Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ireland:

Mr Bobby McDONAGH Permanent Representative

Greece:

Ms Dora BAKOYANNI Minister for Foreign Affairs

Spain:

Mr Miguel Ángel MORATINOS Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation

France:

Mr Pierre SELLAL Permanent Representative

Italy:

Mr Massimo D'ALEMA Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Cyprus:

Mr Nicholas EMILIOU Permanent Representative

Latvia:

Mr Artis PABRIKS Minister for Foreign Affairs

Mr Imants LIEGIS Ambassador, Representative to the Political and Security Committee

Lithuania:

Mr Petras VAITIEKUNAS Minister for Foreign Affairs

Luxembourg:

Mr Jean ASSELBORN Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration

Hungary:

Ms Kinga GÖNCZ Minister for Foreign Affairs

Malta:

Mr Michael FRENDO Minister for Foreign Affairs

Mr Anthony ABELA Parliamentary Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister

Netherlands:

Mr Maxime VERHAGEN Minister for Foreign Affairs

Austria:

Ms Ursula PLASSNIK Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs

Poland:

Ms Anna Elzbieta FOTYGA Minister for Foreign Affairs

Portugal:

Mr Luís AMADO Ministro de Estado, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Romania:

Mr Adrian CIOROIANU Minister for Foreign Affairs

Slovenia:

Mr Dimitrij RUPEL Minister for Foreign Affairs

Slovakia:

Mr Ján KUBIŠ Minister for Foreign Affairs

Finland:

Mr Ilkka KANERVA Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ms Astrid THORS Minister of Migration and European Affairs

Sweden:

Mr Carl BILDT Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ms Cecilia MALMSTRÖM Minister for European Affairs

United Kingdom:

Ms Margaret BECKETT Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Commission:

Ms Benita FERRERO-WALDNER Member

ITEMS DEBATED

PREPARATION OF THE JUNE MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

The Council took note of an annotated draft agenda prepared by the presidency for the European Council to be held in Brussels on 21 and 22 June (9249/07). It will prepare the meeting in greater detail at its session on 18 June.

The issues to be addressed by the European Council are:

• - 

  EU treaty reform process;
• - 

  Justice and home affairs (police cooperation, combating terrorism, migration policy, citizens' rights and judicial cooperation);
• - 

  Economic and social issues (climate change, completion of the internal market, external economic relations and the social dimension);
• - 

  External relations (in particular European neighbourhood policy and Central Asia).

The annotated draft agenda will serve as the basis and structure for draft European Council conclusions to be prepared by the presidency and submitted to the permanent representatives committee in the run-up to the Council meeting on 18 June.

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Preparation of the EU-Canada summit

The Council took note of preparations for the EU-Canada summit that will take place in Berlin on 4 June.

International security, trade and economic issues and climate change and energy are on the agenda for the summit.

Preparation for the EU-Japan summit

The Council took note of preparations for the EU-Japan summit that will take place in Berlin in the first week of June.

International issues, bilateral relations and implementation of an action plan for EU-Japan co-operation will be reviewed at the summit.

Relations with Switzerland - Negotiation on state aid rules

The Council adopted a decision authorising the Commission to open negotiations with Switzerland on the application of state aid rules under the 1972 agreement between the EU and Switzerland.

The aim is to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution for the amendment of certain corporate tax regimes applied by Swiss cantons that apply more favourable tax levels to foreign source income than to domestic source income. The Commission considers that the tax regimes constitute state aid which threatens to distort competition and affect trade between the EU and Switzerland.

Relations with Vietnam - Partnership and cooperation agreement

The Council decided to extend to Vietnam its mandate to the Commission for the negotiation of framework agreements on partnership and cooperation with Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

EU-South Africa strategic partnership

The Council approved an action plan for a EU-South Africa strategic partnership aimed at promoting liberty, peace, security and stability, in Africa in particular, and boosting cooperation between the parties.

The strategic partnership will build on existing relations between the EU and South Africa, with the aim of strengthening and bringing added value. In addition to the existing trade, development and cooperation agreement, both parties have agreed to establish a new structure, the Mogôbagôba Dialogue^[1], for all existing fora of cooperation. This will bring together existing areas of cooperation, including political dialogue, and develop cooperation in all areas, including the environment and climate change, macro-economic policy, peace and security, migration, transport, housing, education and training, information and communication technology and social matters.

Relations with the Council of Europe - Memorandum of understanding

The Council approved a memorandum of understanding with the Council of Europe with a view to developing relations in all areas of common interest, in particular the promotion and protection of pluralistic democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, political and legal co-operation, social cohesion and cultural interchange.

EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY

Security agreement with the European Space Agency

The Council authorised the presidency, assisted by the high representative and in full association with the Commission, to open negotiations on a security agreement with the European Space Agency.

Financing of ESDP operations

The Council adopted a decision establishing a mechanism to administer the financing of the common costs of European Union operations having military or defence implications (Athena) (8211/07). The decision codifies the original decision of 23 February 2004 establishing Athena, notably in the light of subsequent amendments to that decision.

Strengthening African capabilities - Recommendations

The Council approved recommendations from the Political and Security Committee for the implementation of proposals for action to strengthen the EU's partnership with Africa in the resolution of conflicts, as well as an action plan for the implementation of these proposals.

The proposals will be implemented in accordance with the principles of African ownership and of partnership with other members of the international community, in particular the United Nations.

Kosovo - EU planning team - Extension of mandate

The Council adopted a joint action extending a mandate set by joint action 2006/304/CFSP on the establishment of an EU planning team (EUPT Kosovo) regarding a possible EU crisis management operation in Kosovo in the field of the rule of law and possible other areas (8543/07).

EUPT Kosovo is aimed, in the context of the process on Kosovo's future status, at taking forward planning and action to ensure a smooth transition between selected tasks of the United Nations mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and a possible EU crisis management operation.

The joint action extends the current mandate to 1 September 2007 and sets at EUR 43,96 million the financial reference amount to cover expenditure during the period from 1 June to 1 September 2007.

EU military capabilities - Progress report

The Council took note of a progress report on the development of EU military capabilities and approved its transmission to NATO for information purposes.

The document provides an update on activities undertaken since October 2006 to improve EU military capabilities and the capability development process. It is produced every six months between reviews of the progress catalogue.

A central element of capability development is the 2010 headline goal process (HLG 2010) with its main documents, the requirements catalogue 2005 (RC 05), force catalogue 2007 (FC 07) and progress catalogue (PC).

See Council conclusions on ESDP in the External Relations press release 9471/07.

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Operation "EUFOR RD Congo"

The Council took note of a report summarising strategic lessons learnt from "EUFOR RD Congo", the EU operation which facilitated the holding of the first free and fair elections in over 40 years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) .

Operation EUFOR RD Congo was conducted following a request from the United Nations for support to the UN mission for DRC (MONUC) during the Congolese election process in 2006.

See Council conclusions on ESDP in the External Relations press release 9471/07.

DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

Preparation of ACP-EU joint council - African Peace Facility, Sudan, Somalia, desertification

The Council took note of preparations for the 32nd session of the ACP-EU council of ministers that will take place in Brussels on 25 May.

The session will be co-chaired by Dr Timothy Thahane, minister of finance and development planning of Lesotho, and Ms Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, federal minister for economic cooperation and development of Germany.

The council of ministers' session will be preceded on 24 May by a ministerial-level meeting of the ACP-EU development finance committee.

The Council approved the following draft decisions to be adopted by the ACP-EU council of ministers:

• - 

  a draft decision reassigning part of the reserve of the ninth European development fund (EDF) in order to respond to humanitarian and emergency needs and to replenish the African Peace Facility (8929/07). This should allow in particular for an additional EUR 40 million to be granted to the African Union mission in Sudan. The draft decision establishes that all remaining balances in the long-term development reserve of the ninth EDF will be transferred to the intra-ACP allocation. This is deemed necessary because the instrument for long-term development will have excess balances while the instrument used to finance intra-ACP projects and programmes is in need of replenishment;
• - 

  a draft decision allowing for additional bilateral contributions from the EU member states for the African Peace Facility (8927/07);
• - 

  a draft decision on an additional allocation of EUR 36 million from the ninth European development fund (EDF) in order to ensure continued support to the population under the EU's cooperation programme with Somalia, pending the entry into force next year of the 10th EDF (7166/07)
• - 

  a draft joint declaration on combating drought and desertification, in support of a reform of the United Nations convention on combating desertification.

Action plan on health workers

The Council endorsed an action plan proposed by the Commission in order to help remedy a critical shortage of health workers in developing countries.

The plan defines actions to be taken at country, regional and global level with the aim of providing a coordinated response in supporting efforts to deal with the growing crisis in human resources (mainly doctors and nurses) in the health sector.

In its dialogues with developing countries, the EU will promote the integration of human resource development strategies into national health systems. Particular attention will be paid to Africa and to post-conflict and fragile states. The strategies will focus in particular on capacity building, training, civil service reform and the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The Council and the representatives of the member states adopted conclusions to be found in document 7173/07.

Among the measures set out in the action plan, the conclusions highlight the following priorities:

• - 

  developing principles for the recruitment of health workers from developing countries to work in the EU;
• - 

  an EU code of conduct for the recruitment of health workers;
• - 

  improved information systems (especially statistics) on human resources for health;
• - 

  expanding medical education and health staff training and supporting regulatory agencies in improving standards and achieving a balance between demand and supply for qualified staff;
• - 

  exploring ways and means (by June) to facilitate the temporary migration of health workers from developing countries into the EU.

The Commission will report by December on implementation of the action plan and progress made.

Gender equality and development

The Council agreed on an EU strategy aimed at better promoting gender equality and refocusing actions for women's empowerment in development countries.

Gender equality is becoming a recognised part of the EU's dialogue with partner countries and its consultations with civil society, the aim being to raise awareness and sensitivise the EU's development partners to the relation between greater equality and poverty reduction. The UN's millennium development goals are far from being reached in this field.

The EU strategy is aimed at broadening the scope of gender equality beyond the social sectors so as to encompass other policy areas, such as economic growth, trade, migration, infrastructure, the environment and climate change, governance, fragile states, peacebuilding and reconstruction. It is aimed at promoting specific actions for the empowerment of women and the elimination of discrimination in development cooperation.

The Council and the representatives of the member states adopted conclusions to be found in document 9178/07.

The conclusions highlight the following priorities for EU action:

• - 

  tackling gender-based violence in all forms, including harmful practices such as genital mutilation;
• - 

  mainstreaming gender equality and women's empowerment in all relevant policies and instruments, with adequate resource allocation and training;
• - 

  increased coordination with UN bodies such as the committee on the elimination of discrimination against women;
• - 

  supporting partner countries in integrating gender equality and women's empowerment in their national policies, programmes and strategies;
• - 

  supporting the involvement of civil society, in particular women's organisations;
• - 

  setting clear targets and indicators in all sectors and collecting sex-disaggregated data;
• - 

  supporting women's rights over their sexual and reproductive health, including access to the relevant services;
• - 

  strengthening monitoring and reporting on the implementation of gender mainstreaming and women's empowerment in developing countries.

Relations with Africa - Energy cooperation

The Council and the representatives of the member states adopted conclusions on energy cooperation with Africa, with the aim of establishing an EU-Africa partnership on energy at an EU-Africa summit that is planned in Lisbon for the end of the year.

Africa and Europe have established close links in energy-related cooperation and have shared interests in energy security, which is key for economic development. The EU's 2007-09 energy policy action plan, launched by the European Council in March, provides for a special dialogue on energy with African countries.

Increased investment in energy infrastructure is needed in order to accelerate economic and social development in Africa. This requires enhanced support from Europe and conditions that are conducive for attracting private investment. Transparency is a key prerequisite for improving the business climate, and for improving the development-oriented use of revenues from natural resources. More emphasis will be put on Africa's potential in renewable energies and in energy efficiency, whilst integrating climate change policies into development cooperation and supporting the capacities of African partner countries to adapt.

The conclusions are to be found in document 8421/07.

10th European development fund - Programming and decision-making procedures

The Council adopted a regulation aimed at improving programming and decision-making procedures for the 10th European development fund (EDF), which will enter into force next year, and establishing management procedures for the African Peace Facility (8316/07).

The regulation is based on an EU internal agreement on the EDF for financing under the 2008-13 financial framework for Community aid (Official Journal L 247 of 9.9.2006, p. 32).

TRADE POLICY

New Zealand - Modification of butter quota

The Council adopted a decision authorising the Commission to open negotiations on modification of the EU's butter quota for New Zealand.

GENERAL AFFAIRS

Proceedings in the Council's other configurations

The Council took note of a report from the presidency on proceedings in its other configurations (9247/07).

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

Bohunice nuclear power plant in Slovakia - Assistance for decommissioning

The Council adopted a regulation providing for EUR 423 million in Community assistance for the 2007-13 period for the decommissioning of Units 1 and 2 of the Bohunice nuclear power plant in Slovakia (6284/07).

In a protocol to the 2003 act of accession to the EU, Slovakia committed itself to the closure of the two units by 31 December 2006 and 31 December 2008 respectively.

ENERGY

Nuclear energy - Third party liability

The Council reached agreement on a decision authorising the Republic of Slovenia to ratify, in the interest of the European Community, a February 2004 protocol amending the 1960 Paris convention on third party liability in the field of nuclear energy (8863/07).

The protocol contains provisions which affect the rules laid down in EU regulation 44/2001 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matter[s].

APPOINTMENTS

Committee of the Regions

The Council adopted decisions appointing to the Committee of the Regions (8283/07) for the remainder of the current term of office, which runs until 25 January 2010:

(a) as members:

Mr Panayotis PSOMIADIS, Prefect of Thessaloniki, in place of Mr Christos CHATZOPOULOS,

Mr Georgios PAPASTERGIOU, Prefect of Pieria, in place of Mr Dimitrios STAMATIS,

Mr Nikitas KAKLAMANIS, Mayor of Athens, in place of Ms Theodora BAKOYANNI,

Mr Andreas FOURAS, Mayor of Patras, in place of Mr Andreas KARAVOLAS,

Mr Grigorios ZAFIROPOULOS, Mayor of Chalandri (Athens), in place of Mr Pavlos KAMARAS,

Mr Dimitrios TSINGOUNIS, Mayor of Leonidio (Arcadia) in place of Mr Panayotis TZANIKOS,

Mr Konstantinos TZATZANIS, Counsellor, Prefecture of Piraeus, in place of Mr Konstantinos TZATZANIS, Municipal Counsellor, Piraeus,

and,

(b) as alternate members:

Mr Konstantinos KONTOYORGOS, Prefect of Evritania, in place of Mr Theodoros GEORGAKIS,

Mr Dimitrios DRAKOS, Prefect of Messinia, in place of Mr Georgios KOUTSOULIS,

Mr Dimitrios KALOGEROPOULOS, Mayor of Aigaleo (Athens), in place of Mr Georgios MACHIMARIS,

Mr Dimitrios PREVEZANOS, Counsellor, Municipality of Skiathos (Magnissia), in place of Mr Ioannis SPARTSIS,

Mr Spyros SPYRIDON, Counsellor, Prefecture of Athens - Piraeus in place of Mr Spyros SPYRIDON Mayor of Poros.

European Economic and Social Committee

The Council adopted a decision appointing Mr Philippe MANGIN a member of the European Economic and Social Committee in place of Mr Bruno CLERGEOT for the remainder of his term of office, which ends on 20 September 2010.

^[1] Mogôbagôba is the national tree of South Africa.

⁴ OJ L 12, 16.1.2001, p. 1[.]