Report On the progress of sector policies during the Presidency of Slovenia and planned development during the Presidency of France approved by Cabinet of Ministers

 

On 29 July at the sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers a report On the progress of sector policies during the Presidency of Slovenia and planned development during the Presidency of France" was approved. The Foreign Ministry, working with sector ministries, prepares this kind of informative report twice a year whenever the presiding country of the EU Council changes.

The document was produced as a concise review of the development of sector policies, in line with the orientation of EU policy documents and legislative acts significant to Latvia under the Slovenian Presidency, and their planned development under the French Presidency. In analysing the agenda proposed by the French Presidency, priorities requiring special focus for the representation of Latvia's national interests were determined.

During the first half of 2008, one of the new EU Member States, Slovenia, presided at the Council of the European Union. Its priorities were the energy sector, the new cycle of the Lisbon Strategy (2008-2010), migration policy and the extension of regional co-operation in the Western Balkans region, and also the promotion of intercultural dialogue. Latvia's priorities during the Slovenian Presidency were cross-cutting issues related to the future of the EU: the Lisbon Treaty and EU budget reform, as well as a string of EU sector policies: energy and climate change, initiatives in the fields of the environment, taxation and transport, the "health check" of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), EU policy for legal migration and the issue regarding the assessment of crimes of totalitarian regimes.

Since 1 July, the Presidency has been held by France, whose operational directions are set out in the combined 18-month work programme jointly prepared by the French, Czech and Swedish Presidencies. At the Council of the European Union, France has also defined energy and climate change, immigration policy, the CAP and the European defence and security policy as its priorities.

In the sphere of energy, work will be continued on the remaining open issues within the package of legislation proposals to liberalise the EU's energy market, in order to achieve a political agreement as early as 10 October, when a meeting of the Council of Ministers for Transport, Telecommunications and Energy takes place. Given the differing opinions of the Member States and the European Parliament, it is essential for Latvia that the provisions currently proposed in the package are retained. Intensive work at the expert and the political level is also anticipated with regard to the package of legislation on climate and energy, on which agreement is expected to be reached prior to the UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan from 1 to 12 December.

Work will be continued on an issue of vital significance for Latvia, namely, the "health check" of the CAP. The French Presidency expects to achieve political agreement on this issue at the Council of Ministers for Agriculture on 17-18 November.

Continuing the discussions at the European Council which started in June, the French Presidency is planning active work on the issue of rising oil prices. In September already, the European Commission will unveil specific measures to diminish the impact of increasing oil prices. Discussions about this issue are planned to be held during the Informal Council of Economics and Finance Ministers on September 12-13, and during the European Council on September 15-16.

During the European Council in October, the French Presidency is planning to adopt the European Pact on Migration and Asylum which it has elaborated, and which is the summary of the political commitment of the member states for the formation of a common migration and asylum policy. Meanwhile, during the European Council on December 11-12, it is planned to pass a resolution on the issue of the Lisbon Treaty and to approve the updated European Security Strategy.

Taking into account the rapid working pace and intensive work schedule of the French Presidency, over the next 6 months Latvia will need to take action at the expert and the political level, and require significant mobilization of the existing capacity, so that decisions passed by the EU would not be in contradiction with Latvia's interests as identified by the branch ministries and included in this report.

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