Cabinet of Ministers considers report on sectoral policy progress under Czech Presidency and planned development under Swedish Presidency [04 Aug 2009]

On 4 August, at the sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers a report On the progress of sector policies during the Presidency of the Czech Republic and planned development during the Presidency of Sweden was reviewed. 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, reflecting the results of the representation of Latvia's interests on the EU arena during the Czech presidency, as well as defining national priorities and significant sector issues under the Swedish Presidency. The report also highlights progress on other issues within the competency of ministries and relevant interests of Latvia.

In preparation for the Czech Presidency, the following priorities were identified for Latvia: the Energy Action plan for  2010-2012 and the Baltic interconnection plan; preparing for the Copenhagen Climate Conference; economic revitalisation measures; a multiannual programme in the field of the judiciary and home affairs for 2010-2014; phasing in the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum; the EU Strategy of the Baltic Sea Region; territorial cohesion; the future of the Common Agricultural Policy; industrial emissions; revision of tobacco excise tax; transboundary health case; creating a common European air space and revision of the electronic communications sector.

When analysing the discussion which took place during the Czech Presidency, the ministries have come to the conclusion that the representation of Latvia's interests in these cases had on the whole been successful.  As a result of the discussions, it has been possible to achieve compromise agreements to the advantage of Latvia and to avoid hasty unfavourable solutions.

The principal priorities and challenges of the Swedish Presidency are the stabilisation of economies and the promotion of employment, as well as the preparation for the UN Climate Conference to be held in Copenhagen in December.

Having evaluated the programme for Sweden's EU Presidency, the ministries agreed upon the national priority issues in which particular attention should be paid to the protection of Latvia's interests: the approval of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU institutional issues and its annual budget procedure, the priorities of the Lisbon Treaty after 2010, the EU Cohesion Policy, as well as identifying the industries that are exposed to the risk of carbon leakage. The outcome of the Member States' debate on these topics is to determine the framework for the EU's development and sector policies in the nearest future that will also directly affect Latvia.

Other sectoral topics vital for Latvia during the Swedish Presidency undeniably are the Eastern partnership, the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, energy security, the financial supervision reform, the reform of the common fisheries policy as well as the revision of payments to areas less favourable for agriculture. 

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